I have been tinkering with truffles for a few years, attending several chocolate workshops, but ‘the lights turned on’ when I was lucky enough to spend half a day with Paul A Young.

Due to my ice cream commitments, I struggled to give this idea any time - until now.

My journey began trying to pair the right origin of chocolate to complement the flavour of the truffle, which has involved the help of truffle tasting customers for unbiased feedback.

As Paul A Young told me ‘you will never eat a better truffle than one that is fresh’ and I would also add, made with fresh cream. The richness that the cream adds to a ganache just does make all the difference - however it does shorten the shelf life.

On every course, until meeting Paul, was I shown how to pipe the truffle fillings into pre-purchased chocolate shells. Surely not! My truffles are hand rolled, when set rolled in tempered chocolate twice and then simply decorated.

I thought that I would see where I was in the scheme of things, so last year I entered the same chocolate truffle in three different competitions. I was very proud to receive a One Star Gold Great Taste Award, a Bronze Award from The Academy of Chocolate and be Highly Commended in the Great British Food Awards.

Packaged in boxes made from recycled cocoa husks, these make great gifts which I sell at weekends in The Parlour, or I can pop a box in the post for you with a handwritten card.