Truffles and Cultured Jersey Butter are the best of friends

Friendy (aka Simon Friend) from Friend & Burrell is dubbed the
Truffle man of Melbourne. You will see him back-dooring most popular high-end restaurants, and he has built beautiful friendships with many of the best chefs over the years.

Two years ago, Simon was on a quest to get some new truffle butter made. He had heard about Gippsland Jersey and called Sallie Jones. During that phone call, he worked out that Sallie’s Gippsland Jersey dairy factory is located in his childhood hometown of Lakes Entrance, on the same farm that he spent his childhood having all sorts of agricultural adventures with Sallie’s dad.  (***Insert audio link from what’s app)

Simon learned about the very sad and tragic loss of Michael Bowen (Sallie’s dad), who took his own life in 2016 after a battle with mental health. This upset and rocked Simon, as life is so fragile, and we are left only with the memories.
Out of grief, Sallie poured all of her sadness into creating a legacy brand that she knew would make her dad proud, who himself was a dairy pioneer of the farmhouse movement in the late 80s).

Simon has made it his mission to help Sallie build her network by introducing her to chefs such as Guy Grossi, Hugh Allen and Andrew McConnell, all of whom have Gippsland Jersey on their menus.

In celebration of the truffle season, Sallie and Simon have teamed up to try and educate the general public about how truffles are best served with dairy - which acts as a beautiful carrier of the truffle flavour.

“The lactic acid in cultured butter activates the truffle, making it pop. Butter tells your mouth that something good is about to happen,” says Simon.

There's no need to be intimidated by truffles.

Truffle Butter:
Get your butter to room temperature and grate the truffle into the butter and roll it out between baking paper sheets. You’ll turn 15 grams of truffle into 150 grams of truffle as the flavour of the truffle is activated by the lactic acid in the cultured butter. You can then portion the truffle butter and store it in the freezer for five months. You can use the butter on top of your scrambled eggs, on scallops, steak, toast/ fresh bread … it’s delicious!

Get your Gippsland Jersey butter here