Brace yourself for a price war on truffles. Not the sickly chocolate kind - but the genuine gourmet fungi.

Asda is planning to grow "rare" Perigord Black truffles near Cridling Stubbs, which is apparently off the M62 in Yorkshire, and not a made-up place at all.

The Leeds-based retailer says it is part of its "continuing campaign to bring posh food to thousands of ordinary customers - at prices they can afford".

Now, I'm all for the democratisation of toff grub, but who are they calling ordinary? Well, to be precise: "mums, miners and milkmen". So presumably anyone who's vocation begins with the letter "m".

So, somewhat predictably, what appears at first glance to be a shameless PR stunt (which Bogof has just fallen for) is actually a selfless act of altruism.

"A world shortage means that truffles often sell for thousands of pounds per kilo," says Asda's press release. "We don't see why the finer things in life should be restricted to the well-to-do, so we're going to take action now."

Presumably this will involve squeezing the pigs that sniff the truffles out until they are, literally, squealing? Someone really should tell the Competition Commission.

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