During the last 12 months we have saved many sturgeon from this plight and found them new homes in large ponds across the UK.

Currently, we can only collect from within Yorkshire and Lancashire. However, we are fitting out and licensing a second vehicle that will allow us to collect from anywhere in England and Wales later this year.

Unfortunately we cannot rehome general pond fish as we are purely focussed on sturgeon that have out grown their current environment.

Please contact John on 07523044404 or 

email: info@kccaviar.com

Below we will continue with our sturgeon and their Caviar descriptions;

Beluga

There’s nothing that shouts luxury and fancy quite like someone walking around with dressed blinis topped with a little Caviar. Would you know your Beluga from your Baerii, do you care?

Beluga Caviar is generally 3-4 times the price of other Caviars. Why?

The Beluga sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in the world, capable of living over 100 years and taking 18 - 20 years to mature and produce eggs and growing to over 3m. They require huge seas to grow to maturity. Replicating that in captivity is challenging, not to mention, maintaining the water quality and the huge long-term investment which is eventually reflected in the cost of your Caviar.

The flavour profile of Beluga caviar is unmatched. The large eggs, 3-6 to 4mm dia, have a unique rich buttery texture, and delicate oceanic notes make it the most sought-after caviar in the world. Its luxurious taste and texture are key reasons why Beluga caviar cost remains high. Connoisseurs are willing to pay a premium for this indulgent experience, making it a status symbol in gourmet dining.

It isn’t just the time it takes to produce Beluga Caviar that have impacted its price. It’s also the fact that it is widely considered the finest type of Caviar. This is largely down to the roe that the fish produces. The Beluga Sturgeon produces large, delicate and soft eggs that have a light grey to black colour. The flavour profile has a much richer and buttery taste with a slightly nutty and creamy aftertaste, which makes it a more refined and popular taste for connoisseurs and beginners alike.

The process of harvesting Beluga caviar is a very labour-intensive process and requires a high level of expertise to carefully extract and handle the fragile caviar eggs. Each step, from harvesting to packaging, is done with precision to preserve the caviar’s pristine condition. This level of care and craftsmanship significantly contributes to the overall Beluga caviar price per gram. We always return the Beluga back to the recovery tank within 10-15 mins before putting her back into her lake.

After harvesting, the roe must be properly processed. This includes washing, salting, and grading the eggs based on size, colour, and texture, the optimum being 000. The salting process is critical as it preserves the roe and enhances flavour. Once processed, caviar is carefully packaged in vacuum packed sealed containers to reduce exposure to air and light, further preserving its freshness. Some of our farms prefer to pasteurise the Caviar to extend the shelf life. The Caviar is then stored in a chiller for 1month to mature.

The grading of Beluga Caviar relates to its quality. Higher grades will often have firmer, larger eggs with a smoother flavour. Look for clear descriptions regarding the size, colour, and taste of the Caviar. A “high-quality” Beluga Caviar is typically characterized by large, shiny eggs with a rich flavour and a soft texture that burst in the mouth. This quality comes with rigorous selection and meticulous processing, factors that are quite labour-intensive. 

Each fish has an identification tag or chip which enables us to trace a tin of Caviar back to the Beluga which produced the eggs.  This number is also used in the breeding program, which enables us to trace back to the original fish.

The magnificent Beluga sturgeon has been known to grow to 4m and live to well over 100 years in it's natural habitat. Sadly that has not happened recently.. However, the world is changing and like the Humpback whale 20 years ago, the Beluga and other sturgeon could make a come back?  The Beluga has been on the critically endangered list for many years now. 

Some countries like the USA have banned all imports of live Beluga and their Caviar entering the country.  However, there are groups and foundations being set up like: The Beluga Sturgeon Fish Rescue and protection fund, WWF, Traffic, UNEP, IUCN and more locally the Blue Marine Foundation here in the UK.

There are many breeders around the world who are breeding Beluga and growing them past 20 years before (milking) stripping their eggs to release them as fry into seas which were native to the Beluga. There is a  growing trend amongst farmers to use "some" of the eggs to make Caviar. This is a win win situation.

The next goal is to get the Governments of countries where rivers like the Danube, which was a popular breeding ground for the Beluga, find a way round the dams, like special sturgeon canals that will enable the Beluga to continue it's  4 year journey up the river to its preferred breed ground.

The worst country for the slaughtering of Sturgeon including Beluga is China. They say that they have a sustainable operation. They kill a million then breed a million to replace them. I have my own view on that and i reckon if you're reading this that you would have a similar viewpoint to me.

Over 13 years in the industry has been enlightening. During this time, we've made some good friends and amazing connections. Some of those connections are huge Beluga sturgeon farms, who have agreed to adopt our (milking) ethical and truly sustainable Caviar production process in the near future.

Ruthenus (sterlet)

When you ask AI what Acipenser Ruthenus are: It selects a few hundred words from the thousands written about this cute Sturgeon, which has become a favourite with British pond keepers as it rarely attains 90cm in length, compared to most sturgeon reaching 2m plus.

They have probably been on this planet for over 200million years and living mainly across Europe and especially the Black and Caspian Seas. However, their population is declining due to overfishing and poaching but more importantly their access to breeding grounds becoming blocked by dams.

Caviar fish farmers have been using the sterlet for several reasons: 1. Being smaller it is easier to handle, and it matures earlier. 2. Their Caviar has become one of the most sort after due to its unique taste and appearance along with its delicate texture. Many are now trying to perfect the breeding and Caviar production from the “Albino” sterlet. This is a very rare cousin of the brown Sterlet, which can produce some of the most expensive Caviar available today. This Caviar is pale yellow in colour and called Almas Caviar and has a rich buttery taste.

The Albino sterlet is probably the most sort after acquisition by the UK pond keeper as the can live 20-30 years but more importantly their standout yellow colouring compared to most sturgeon being brown or black.

The Russian or Gueldenstaedtii Sturgeon.

This is a beautiful fish and should be in all large garden ponds which can accommodate a 3-4ft fish. They can grow larger over its 60-year lifespan. 

These are very friendly sturgeon and usually will be feeding out of your have within a few weeks.

They are included on the red list of critically endangered species mainly due to overfishing and the dams blocking their route to breeding grounds on the Danube.

Their Caviar has a premium price tag due to the unique texture, colouring and taste.

Slightly more firm than other Caviars, comes in a range of colours and tones from black to brown or even green. The taste is sublime and ranks at the top for flavour.

It is known as Osetra or Oscietra Caviar. Only available from female sturgeon over 7 years of age but up to 20 + years if kept in a no kill Caviar environment.

To meet the requirements of EHA and CITES every tin of our Caviar has the following information: The type of food, ingredient list, Allergenic items in bold, the  % of each ingredient, use by date, net quantity in grams plus our address, storage instructions and a nutritional declaration plus any preservatives if added, which in the case of KC Caviar there are non!

In the case of Caviar from our  farms we show the fish name/number that provided the eggs to make that tin of KC Caviar 100% Ethical & truly Sustainable Caviar. However, you will see from the listings this Caviar is slightly more expensive that traditional.

All of the above is periodically checked by the APHA / CITES and the local EHO from the local Gov. authorities, in fact we had our CITES inspection in February this year.

To meet the continued demand for "traditional" Caviar. We have negotiated a deal for a small quantity with two  well-respected EU traditional farmers and their Caviar will be rebranded in the UK as KC Caviar. This Caviar contains a preservative to increase shelf life.

 We double wrap in insulated envelopes and include ice packs to cover the journey to your home, thereby ensuring your Caviar arrives in tip top condition.

It was really interesting to see the massive jump in visits to the website which was due to BBC2 airing the Hairy Bikers "Go North" program last month.

Along with the Ethical and truly sustainable (green and blue fish) logo we have now created the Adipocere induced Caviar (AIC) logo for all our friends to use.

Our Beluga Caviar is made from eggs taken from 18–20 year old captive bred induced Beluga sturgeon, utilizing our ethical and truly sustainable process under the strict observation from KC Caviar team.

Beluga Caviar has never been so affordable, for example KC will be offering a 30gm tin for less than £100! That’s incredible. This is due to a broader recognition that there is a greater demand for a quality Caviar at an affordable price. To bring this to fruition, or partners had to change some processes and incorporate the KC process including using natural sea salt and ensures that no preservatives like Borax were added .

This is a world deal breaker, bringing the best ethical and sustainable Caviar in the world, to the masses, without affecting traditional markets. We will supply in sizes from 30gm right up to 1Kg and you will be available to place your orders from November for delivery by the end of December or just before Xmas, using the http://www.kccaviar.com website. Overnight delivery is standard along with “by-appointment”, click and collect from WF11 9LD.