Our other suppliers

Cacao simply can’t be sourced locally in Ireland, but other ingredients can! Collaborating with local businesses is another way the Truffle Fairy show its commitment to sustainability, quality and traceability.

Ballykeefe Distillery

Highbank Orchards

This farm in Kilkenny adheres to the strictest of organic standards and produces apples and a wide range of artisan products from them.

Visit their website at https://highbankorchards.com to learn more about their award winning products, some of which we stock in our Truffle Fairy cafés. If you want to get a flavour of apple and chocolatey goodness combined, then try our apple-flavoured truffles or raw cacao slices, in which Highbank Orchard syrups serve as healthy sweeteners!

Bell Lane Coffee

This Irish coffee roastery travels to plantations to build relationships with everyone in their coffee supply chain. Why? Because, as Bell Lane say “this relationship offers security to the farmer, their families and communities, and security to us that they can deliver quality focused coffee.” They engage in direct trade, which they define as “Transparent and fair pricing along with sharing knowledge and ideas that help both the roaster and the producer to grow together.”

Visit their website at www.belllane.ie to learn more and come have a delicious cup of coffee in our Truffle Fairy cafés.

With  each of these suppliers we are back to the concepts of sustainability, ethical sourcing, product quality…. the same values embraced by the Truffle Fairy.

Our chocolate supplier

Sourcing our most precious ingredient

Cacao is arguably the Truffle Fairy’s most important ingredient and so we have chosen our supplier with utmost care.

Felchlin, a Swiss company, has produced highest quality couverture chocolate for over 100 years. They subscribe to the philosophy of FAIR, DIRECT CACAO. This means that they engage in enduring relationships with cacao farmers, visiting plantations regularly. They are committed to ensuring socially acceptable working conditions as well as environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. In return for cacao beans of exceptional quality, they pay over Fairtrade prices to the producers and offer them long-term contracts. In this way, Felchlin lives sustainability, quality and traceability and is the perfect supplier for the Truffle Fairy, which lives the same values.

Our ethos

Why and how we do what we do

To make a product that we can stand over 100% is our guiding principle.

We at the Truffle Fairy believe that consumers’ choices have repercussions throughout the product’s entire production chain. We therefore source the highest quality ingredients ethically, from environmentally sustainable growers, and locally wherever possible. With them, we make exquisite truffles, bars and other chocolate products.

This way, you enjoy while everyone along the production chain benefits!

Mary and the Truffle Fairy

The Truffle Fairy was founded in 2005 by professional chef Mary Teehan, when she discovered her passion for working with the “food of the Gods”, chocolate. Some of the world’s most renowned chocolatiers taught and guided her in the skills of chocolate-making. Add to this training 17 years of experience plus Mary’s creativity and talent in choosing and combining flavours and you get a truly divine creation indeed!

Beginning production in her own kitchen, Mary started selling her chocolates at farmers’ markets. There, she could engage in a direct exchange with her customers. Valuing the insights these exchanges gave her, Mary adjusted and perfected her recipes accordingly and soon could boast a fervent following.

The business has grown since these early days, with 2 boutique-style cafés opening in Thomastown and Kilkenny and production moving to the purpose-fitted kitchen at the Thomastown location.

As the business grew, so did the Truffle Fairy Team of chocolatiers, bakers, customer service and sales and marketing staff (though by anyone’s definition, we are still a micro business!). This allows Mary to focus on her passion: making truffles and chocolate products, giving creativity free reign. New flavours are always in the making and the range of truffles and chocolates on offer is thus always exciting and changing. However, one thing remains the same: the refusal to compromise on quality and ethical soundness of ingredients.

As a small business that values face-to-face interaction with customers and traditionally sells in physical locations such as markets and shops, the Truffle Fairy was hit hard by Covid19 restrictions. The online shop was opened in response allowing us to not only keep serving our loyal customers in times of restricted movements, but also establish a following of new customers beyond the limits of the Kilkenny area.

Thank you to all for your custom!