The land is letting us in on a secret
Gavin Booth discovered bianchetto white truffles—previously only grown on Australia's eastern seaboard—in Manjimup, 300km south of Perth. The 1.5kg haul attracted immediate global attention from chefs in Spain, Denmark, Sydney and San Francisco within hours of social media posting.
- 1.5 kilograms of bianchetto white truffles discovered in Manjimup, 300km south of Perth
- First white truffles ever grown in Western Australia
- Worth approximately $3,000 per kilogram
- International chef interest from Spain, Denmark, San Francisco within hours of announcement
- Western Australia produces 80% of southern hemisphere's black Périgord truffles
A Western Australian man unearthed 1.5kg of rare white truffles worth $3,000/kg in his backyard, marking the first discovery of this variety in WA and attracting international chef interest within hours.
Gavin Booth was digging beneath stone pine trees in his backyard when the earth gave up something Western Australia had never yielded before. It was a Tuesday in late June, 300 kilometers south of Perth in the Southern Forests region, and what he pulled from the soil was 1.5 kilograms of bianchetto white truffles—a variety so rare on this continent that no one had successfully grown it west of the Great Dividing Range until that moment.
The truffles were worth roughly $3,000 per kilogram, but their real value lay in what they represented. Booth, who co-owns Australian Truffle Traders in Manjimup with his wife Mel, had spent two decades chasing the temperamental fungi. He'd planted the stone pines during the pandemic, betting on patience and the right conditions. The gamble had paid off in a way he hadn't quite dared to expect. "First ones ever dug up in Western Australia," he said simply. "It's a good day."
The bianchetto variety carries a distinctive garlicky, almost onion-like aroma that sets it apart from its more famous cousin, the black Périgord truffle. Australia has built its reputation on the black variety—Manjimup and the surrounding region produce roughly 80 percent of all black truffles grown in the southern hemisphere. But white truffles had remained elusive west of the coast. A handful of growers on the eastern seaboard had managed to cultivate them, but Western Australia's truffle farmers had never succeeded. Until now.
Booth posted the discovery on social media, and the response was immediate. Within hours, chefs from Spain and Denmark had reached out publicly. Interest came from Sydney to San Francisco. The global truffle world, it seemed, had been waiting for this moment—proof that Western Australia could expand beyond its black truffle dominance into the rarer, more volatile white market. "I had interest from chefs from Sydney to San Francisco," Booth told local media. "I expect there'll be some demand for these white beauties."
The couple celebrated with their team, including what they called their "right hand gal Loz." On Instagram, they reflected on two decades of work in the industry and the particular thrill of being among the very first to successfully grow this variety in their region. "Truffles are fickle to grow," Booth explained. "You cannot rush them and you cannot force them, so to have some white ones finally appear feels like the land is letting us in on a secret."
The discovery arrived at a moment when Australia's bianchetto community was quietly expanding. Adelaide Hills Truffle Company in South Australia had been harvesting the white variety since 2021. Other growers—Red Hill Truffles, Tartufo White, The Truffle Barn, Red Ground Australia, and Quercus Truffles—had already established themselves in the market. When Adelaide Hills heard the news from Manjimup, they were among the first to offer congratulations. "There are quite a few established growers in Australia now which is exciting," they wrote. The discovery in Western Australia suggested the truffle map of the country was being redrawn, one careful harvest at a time.
Citas Notables
Truffles are fickle to grow. You cannot rush them and you cannot force them, so to have some white ones finally appear feels like the land is letting us in on a secret.— Gavin Booth, co-owner of Australian Truffle Traders
Within hours of posting our find on social media, I had interest from chefs from Sydney to San Francisco.— Gavin Booth
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that white truffles showed up in Western Australia specifically? Isn't a truffle a truffle?
Western Australia had built its entire reputation on black truffles—80 percent of the southern hemisphere's supply comes from there. White truffles were supposed to be an eastern seaboard thing. This discovery proves the region can diversify, that the soil and climate can support something rarer and more valuable.
And the price difference—$3,000 a kilogram versus black truffles. How much more is that?
Black Périgords typically run $1,500 to $2,000 per kilogram. So you're looking at 50 to 100 percent more money per gram. But it's not just the price. White truffles are harder to grow, more temperamental. Booth spent twenty years waiting for this.
The chefs calling within hours—was that surprising to him?
You can hear it in what he said. He expected demand, but the speed and geography of it caught him off guard. Chefs from Spain, Denmark, San Francisco. The truffle world had been watching to see if this could happen in Australia.
What does "truffles are fickle" actually mean in practical terms?
You can't force them to fruit. You can plant the right trees, manage the soil, create the conditions—but ultimately the truffle decides when and whether to appear. Twenty years of work can result in nothing. Or, like Booth, it can result in 1.5 kilograms of something no one else on the continent has ever grown.
Is this a one-off, or does it signal something bigger?
There are already five or six established bianchetto growers across Australia. This discovery in Western Australia suggests the conditions are spreading, that more growers will try it. The map is expanding.