Truffle Shuffle is a company that specializes in culinary experiences. For quite some time, chefs, foodies, and normal folks all across the globe have been able to rely on the company for their culinary education needs. Truffle-based dishes are also covered. The company conducts not only culinary classes but also hosts exclusive events and experiences for foodies who have a passion for truffles, such as dinner parties and online tutorials.
The company was founded by Jason McKinney and Tyler Vorce because they were both Michelin star chefs who wanted to bring truffle-based cooking to the world. Since they thought that this kind of cooking was too inaccessible to the average person. Plus they had a lot of truffles during the pandemic, which is why they decided to start a truffle-based cooking class online instead.
The remote model was so successful that they were making almost $1.4 million through sales in 2021, which is why they wanted an investment from the Sharks so they could better manage their business.
They initially started with small-scale classes and meal kits, then expanded to a small facility with 4 kitchens. Luckily, their service took off immediately and a lot of popular celebrities appeared on their live cooking show, including Ronnie Lott and Snoop Dogg.
They mainly work with truffle-based items like salt, honey, and carpaccio.
Are They Still an Active Company?
Yes, the company is active and still in business.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
The two entrepreneurs came to Shark Tank seeking an investment of
$500,000 for a 5%stake in their company. They started their pitch by sharing the concept behind the service and even handed out samples for the Sharks. The Sharks seemed to respond positively to the taste of the products.
But then it was time for them to respond to the pitch. Lori stepped out first, and so did Daymond. Mark was a little hesitant because he thought it was too much of an expensive mess to get into. Robert was the first to make an offer of $500,000 for a 20% stake in the company. Then Kevin decided to step in too and made a counter offer for $500,000 that would be paid back at a 9.5% interest rate over 3 years plus a 25% stake in the company.
Kevin’s condition was that the two entrepreneurs should only focus on truffle-based products. Robert took this opportunity to point out that Kevin’s offer was terrible, which it was because it put the two business owners at a major disadvantage.
Jason and Tyler, at this point, wanted the two Sharks to team up instead of going against each other. They offered $250,000 for a 7% stake in the company for both individually. But of course, it wasn’t that simple and the Sharks rejected this offer and repeated their original ones.
Mark stepped in then with a real offer. He offered $500,000 but for a 20% stake in the company. He agreed to lower it to 15% when the two entrepreneurs insisted. Finally, they settled on $501,000 for an 18% stake in the company.
Overall, the Truffle Shuffle Shark Tank Review was positive and they left with a good deal. Their products took off after the episode and they made a good amount of sales. But their Meal Kits stopped being sold at Whole Foods but they’re still selling them through the website. With this culinary service, the two entrepreneurs are able to generate almost $6 million
Our Review of Truffle Shuffle
We decided to try out the services offered by Truffle Shuffle for ourselves to see how they would fare in practice.
The good news is that you can easily learn how to cook like professional chefs with their virtual learning model. Plus they make sure to give you the ingredients you need so you won’t have to struggle with looking for them. If you don’t want to take part in group classes and would prefer a private session instead, they have that option too. Almost no other online cooking class provides ingredients the way that this one does. You’ll be taught by professional chefs who will patiently guide you through the whole process.
The bad news is that the service is actually quite expensive. Even if it might cost less than other alternatives on the market. Plus professional cooks might want to try other companies since these classes are better suited to beginners.
Pros and Cons of Truffle Shuffle
Pros of Truffle Shuffle
- Taught by professional chefs
- Option of private/group sessions
- Provide all the ingredients including difficult to find ones
- Gourmet Food introduction
Cons of Truffle Shuffle
- Expensive
- Better suited to beginners
Who Is Truffle Shuffle for?
This service is mainly aimed at people who like cooking and want to try learning how to cook gourmet food like truffle-based cooking but can’t afford to buy ingredients or always found it difficult to learn.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Although the truffle-based cooking concept is unique, there are many companies that offer culinary experiences on the market.
The Sur La Table class is one example of a program that offers cooking classes and switched to an online mode during the pandemic just like Truffle Shuffle did. They’ve got a wide variety of classes focused on making Sushi and even ones focused on making Croissants. Plus the classes are all quite affordable.
They let you know the ingredients beforehand even if they might not hand them to you like Truffle Shuffle does. Plus you’ll quickly learn how to make delicious food items just by taking a class over Zoom!
Our Final Thoughts
This service is a good option for those living in the US and wanting to get started in the cooking industry. It makes ingredients that are expensive seem like they can easily be utilized in an amateur’s kitchen. The recipes and ingredients are readily available and they offer exclusive one-on-one sessions too.
Still, it’s pretty expensive and it’s only specific to a particular kind of cooking.
