A GLOUCESTERSHIRE based truffle business has been recognised by the Queen for its success in international trade.

TruffleHunter, which is located in South Cerney, is a leading supplier of fresh truffles and truffle products.

The firm has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

The awards, which are in their 55th year, are a celebration of successful and innovative businesses that are leading the way with pioneering products and services.

The award is held for five years.

Commenting on the announcement, CEO of TruffleHunter, Nigel Whitehouse said: “Since TruffleHunter began over 10 years ago, we’ve focused on growing the business internationally.

"It’s been a huge challenge to adapt to this way of operating, not to mention the different cultures, tastes and legal aspects of export.

"The growth of international trade has enabled us to reduce the impact of Covid on our business, over the past 12 months.

"A lot of our domestic clients are restaurants, hotels, retailers and travel related business – it’s been a hard year for these UK based industries, remaining closed for the best part of 2020 into 2021, and so as a supplier, it’s great to see growth in other markets.

"The Queen’s Award bolsters our credibility in the food industry and it goes without saying that we are incredibly proud.

"We’ll be celebrating with the whole team, who’ve helped to build TruffleHunter into the global business we are today, when we have the opportunity.”

Founded over 10 years ago, the TruffleHunter range is produced at its Cotswold base in South Cerney. TruffleHunter supplies a number of Michelin star chefs and trade outlets across the world.

In the last four years, thanks to the curiosity around truffle and truffle flavours, the company has reported a 200 per cent growth.