Meet the Founders

By Annette & Matiu

Ohiwa Black Diamond Truffles

They say truffles are nature’s most mysterious fruit; hidden, sacred, born of the earth’s silence. And

according to ancient mythology, they were first formed when a bolt of lightning struck the soil. That

image has always stayed with us. Because in many ways, that’s exactly how our story begins -

something rare and unexpected, called to life by the land itself.

We didn’t set out to become truffle farmers. In fact, we didn’t even know we had a truffière when

we bought this land in Ohiwa in 2011. The previous owners, the Bassets, simply told us we were the

“right people” for it and we’ve come to understand why. What we found here wasn’t just a property.

It was a legacy.

The land we now call home had already been part of something much bigger. Back in the 1980s, the

Pitta family dreamed of growing truffles here, on a place once known as the Butterfly Cottage. In

1988, with support from Dr Ian Hall and Crop & Food NZ, they planted a test block of inoculated

oak and hazelnut trees and named it Truffière Croix du Sud, after the Southern Cross constellation

that rises directly above the field.

But truffles take patience. Eleven years passed, and no truffles appeared. The Pittas sold the

property to the Bassets, who - not long after - discovered their first black truffle in 1999. It was the

second confirmed truffière in the North Island. Since then, this tiny grove has quietly held its place

in global lectures and academic studies as a key chapter in New Zealand’s truffle industry.

When we moved here, we were welcomed by the Ohiwa community with food, kindness, and open

arms. But we also encountered the other side of rarity; envy, trespassing, people trying to take

samples of our soil, bringing dogs uninvited. We didn’t talk much about it, but it shaped how we

saw the industry; a lot of secrecy, a lot of gatekeeping.

That’s not who we are.

We’ve always believed knowledge should be shared, especially when it can uplift others. So we

reached out not just to other growers, but to the government - to advocate for Māori landowners

and others who carry whenua but lack the financial means or support to begin. Truffle growing

shouldn’t be for the elite few. It should be for those who care deeply for the land.

Since taking over, we’ve planted over 12,000 truffle seedlings, with a goal of reaching 30,000. And

while our yields grew, so did our vision not just for fresh truffle, but for something longer-lasting.

When the market became uncertain, we created our own signature products: truffle oil, honey, and

salt. The classics, done properly, with patience and pride.

We’ve also helped other truffle growers who felt forgotten by the association. They come to us now,

and we do our best to support them, to share what we’ve learned and to buy their truffles for our

products too. That’s how community is supposed to work.

But it hasn’t always been smooth. In 2014, just as our harvest peaked and our products gained

momentum, disaster struck - literally. An aerial top dresser meant for our neighbour dumped tonnesof organic fertiliser over our truffière. Not once, but three times. It killed everything. Spores lay

dormant. No truffles. No answers. And no support from the industry.

We were told we couldn’t recover. That no one had ever come back from this. But we refused to

accept that. We reached out to France, Italy, Spain - anyone who would listen. Slowly, painfully, we

began again. It cost us over $130,000 and years in court. But by 2019, our truffles had returned. Our

grove, now 38 years old, is still producing.

In the quiet of those years, we dug deeper. What is it about the truffle that has captivated kings,

chefs, and healers for centuries? We sent samples to Massey University. The results were beyond

what we imagined: truffles grown in our soil showed anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting,

organ-repairing, and even cancer-fighting properties. That’s when we knew: this wasn’t just a

food. This was medicine. A gift. A secret beneath the surface, waiting to be unearthed.

From that moment, Unearthed Secrets, our skincare line was born. Combining Black Périgord

truffle with kawakawa and mānuka UMF+5, it became our next evolution. Not just something to

taste but something to wear, to feel, to trust. We're now exploring wellness supplements too, always

guided by the rongoā of this land and the science that supports it.

We’re still a small team. We still do the work with our hands. We’ve formed partnerships with

likeminded creators from cheese to caviar, soy sauce to skincare. We’re just getting started.

But what’s never changed is this: everything we do is for the land, the story, and the people who

walk it with respect.This is a living legacy. A lightning bolt beneath our feet. A secret whispered by

the soil.

And we’re here to protect it and to share it.

Ohiwa Black Diamond Truffles

Crafted by hand. Rooted in truth. Unearthed with care.