An international truffle auction on Sunday (13 November) raised a record-breaking £123,107 for charity.

Held at London restaurant Fiore on St James's Street, the auction of the first Alba white truffles of 2005 was attended by 200 guests, including restaurateurs Marco Pierre White and A-Z Restaurants owner Claudio Pulze.

The event was broadcast simultaneously to bidders at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, and the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai.

A mystery bidder in Hong Kong smashed last year's record of £22,877 for a single truffle by paying an astounding £63,908 for a 1.2kg Alba.

London proceeds will go to the Pelican Cancer Foundation, which trains surgeons in advanced cancer procedures.

Alba white truffles are available for two months of the year in the Piedmont region of Italy and are highly sought-after due to their unique taste and texture. A 100g truffle costs about £1,800.

* Claudio Pulze has decided to donate his £1,749, 234g truffle from the auction to the charity Children in Need. He will be offering the truffle, served in a Saturday night dinner for eight people at his Ristorante Fiore, through the charity's Great Big Bid Auction, which runs until 18 November. For more information, or to bid, go to www.bbc.co.uk/greatbigbid.