Our Story

Our property at Red Hill has been farmed by the Holmes family since 1886. Jenny McAuley (nee Holmes) inherited the farm in 2003.

Jenny travelled to Italy and France many times where her passion for truffles started. Jenny believed that the Red Hill climate and environment was perfect for growing truffles.

In 2005, we planted with the help of friends an experimement crop of about 300 oak and hazelnut trees innoculated with black winter truffle. At that time, very few truffle farms had been successful in growing any truffles. So it was always considered a high risk venture.

In 2010, with great excitement, we discovered our first truffle with Chris Wren’s truffle dog, Truf. Chris Wren planted in the same year we did.

Following that success we developed a strategic plan which included planting 2,500 trees over the next 5 years with different varieties of truffles:- Perigord black truffle (T. melansporum), spring white truffle (T. Borchii), summer truffle (T. Aestivum) and Burgundy truffle (T. Aestivum var, uncinatum).

In 2014, we converted the old hay shed into a truffle hunt pavilion using wood milled from the property. Thomas (our English Springer Spaniel) joined the Red Hill Truffles team to start our public and private truffle hunts. Danielle Field of MP Experience joined in partnership with Jenny to run the hunts.

In 2020, the amazing Maddie (our next English Springer Spaniel) joined the team. Maddie found our first spring truffles that year.

In 2022, Maddie discovered our first summer truffles. In December. we commenced the summer truffle hunts.

Jenny McAuley

Founder of Red Hill Truffles. Jenny will greet you at the start of a hunt and regal you with amazing stories about truffles and truffle farming.

Janine Richmond

Janine’s passion for truffles started while working with Greg Malouf at O’Connells then Kurt Sampson at Owensville in Ripponlea, then Montalto and Flinders Hotel achieving 2 Chef’s Hat.