THE KC JOURNEY
Years in the Making
KC Caviar has spent years challenging conventional thinking around caviar, sturgeon welfare and sustainability with education at the heart of the journey.
OUR STORY
More than caviar
From the beginning, KC has wanted to change the conversation around how caviar is produced and how sturgeon are treated.
The wider ambition has always been about more than a luxury food product. KC’s journey has included education, public sampling, conservation awareness and the promotion of production methods that allow the fish producing the caviar to remain alive.
That message has been shared with customers, chefs, retailers, broadcasters and members of the public across the UK.
THE MISSION
Education can change the future
KC believes education and collaboration can play an important role in the long-term preservation of sturgeon.
One of the ambitions described throughout the KC story is to bring together people with the knowledge, influence and determination to improve the future of wild sturgeon populations.
That includes increasing awareness of fish passage systems around river barriers and supporting approaches that allow sturgeon to reach traditional breeding grounds and return downstream.
THE SPEC VISION
Sturgeon Preservation & Education Centre
The proposed Sturgeon Preservation & Education Centre — SPEC — represents the wider conservation and education vision behind KC.
TAKING THE MESSAGE FURTHER
From public tastings to national attention
KC has used tastings, public events and media appearances to introduce people to caviar while explaining the story behind the fish producing it.
Sampling events have taken place around the country, including race meetings, Christmas fairs, food events and other public venues.
The aim was not simply to encourage a sale, but to communicate a simple message: the sturgeon providing the caviar can remain alive.
MILESTONES
Important moments in the KC story
2018
A national first
KC Caviar says it became the first caviar company to run a promotion of its kind with a national supermarket when Aldi stocked KC British Caviar across 653 stores in December 2018.
NEXT STEP
International interest
The Aldi promotion led to enquiries from people around the world interested in learning how a no-kill caviar farm could operate.
DARIQUS
Sharing the knowledge
Dariqus Ltd was subsequently created with the stated aim of helping prospective no-kill farmers establish similar projects elsewhere.
COVID
An unexpected interruption
The hospitality shutdown dramatically affected caviar sales and international farm interest, bringing a difficult period for both KC and Dariqus.
A NEW CHAPTER
Re-establishing KC in Yorkshire
Following the disruption of the previous years, KC describes a later opportunity to re-establish the caviar and fish-importing business at a site in Yorkshire.
The new chapter also included the development of a sturgeon rehoming programme, extending the wider welfare and conservation focus beyond caviar production itself.
KC states that the operation subsequently satisfied local Trading Standards requirements, received a DEFRA fish-health certificate, gained Environmental Health approval and continued its CITES registration following inspection.