Thousands bask in Truffle Kerfuffle pleasure

Fonty’s Pool owner and festival director Jeremy Bissel said the number of attendees was “well up from last year”.

“Judging from the feedback, everyone had a brilliant time, they enjoyed the chef selections particularly.

“I think the atmosphere was good; it had a facelift compared to other years.”

Rodney Dunn, owner of Tasmania’s The Agrarian Kitchen cooking school, was at the festival to promote his new book, The Truffle Cookbook.

He said it was "every chef's dream" to write a truffle cookbook, and said truffles were not as difficult to use and cook with as people would assume.

"I think the truffle is just such a wonderful flavour enhancer, it's so unique and special - so hard to describe, it's alluring.”

Mr Dunn said Western Australia was the most successful state in the country for growing truffles.

“Manjimup in particular pulls more truffles out of the ground than anyone else. So I think it’s only fitting that there’s a festival built around the truffle in Manjimup.”

Sydney-based freelance wine writer Mike Bennie said he was impressed with the high quality of wine and produce in the Southern Forests region.

“There’s such a clear collaboration between the incredible produce. Truffles are one part of the story, but the actual farming culture produces amazing things to eat.

“Wines are sympathetically grown to be the condiment next to that food, it’s a really wonderful thing to see.”

Wine sessions at festivals should be fun and engaging, he said.

“There should be a narrative that covers what the culture of wine is like, both historically and in the present.”

Mr Bennie described the relationship between food and wine as “intrinsic”.

“The most memorable moments are great bottles of wine, company, friends, and food. Particularly when you’ve got amazing food of a certain place to put the wine with it.”