A London restaurant will this weekend host an international truffle auction to raise money for charity.

Ristorante Fiore in St James will hold a Christie’s-run auction of the first Alba white truffles of 2005.

The event will be broadcast this Sunday (13 November) to bidders at the Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong and the Grand Hyatt, Shanghai, China. 

There will also be Italian bidders from the Alba truffle region.

Proceeds will go to the Hands & Hearts Foundation charity. Organisers hope to raise about £48,000.

Alba White truffles are available for two months of the year and are highly sought after due to their unique taste and texture. 

Fiore’s chef patron Umberto Vezzolli, who will himself be using the truffle in selected dishes from the 14 November, said: “It will be an incredible experience watching Christie’s at work and seeing the proceeds of the auction going to such a worthy cause.”

To register for the auction on 13 November, please contact Mieke Vandenbulcke at Ristorante Fiore on 020 7930 7100.

By Chris Druce

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