Caviar

Buying caviar online in the UK comes down to three things: species, pearl size and budget. All our sturgeon caviar is farmed under CITES regulation, and the species on the tin tells you most of what you need to know. Beluga gives the largest, creamiest pearls, Oscietra is golden brown and nutty, Sevruga is small, grey and intensely flavoured, and Siberian is dark, clean and bright. Royal Beluga and our Italian Oscietra have both been best sellers since 2013. Caviar price follows the fish. Pure Beluga sturgeon take 18 to 20 years to mature, which is why Special Reserve Beluga starts at £80 for 30g, while Italian Oscietra starts at £42.30 for the same size and House Selection Siberian is £50 for 50g. The price per gram drops as the tin grows, so 125g and 250g tins are the sensible choice for parties. For colour on a canapé tray at a lower cost, Keta salmon caviar, lumpfish and Arënkha start from £6 a jar. How much caviar per person? For a tasting, 15 to 30g each is plenty, and about 50g makes a generous serving on its own. If you cannot decide between grades, our tasting sets let you compare two or three caviars side by side for less than the tins cost singly. House Selection Siberian is the tin we suggest to first-time buyers who want real sturgeon caviar at a fair price. Caviar arrives chilled and should go straight into the coldest part of the fridge, ideally 0 to 4°C. Never freeze it. Take the tin out 10 to 15 minutes before serving, set it on crushed ice and use a mother of pearl or horn spoon, since metal can leave a faint metallic taste. Once opened, eat it within 48 hours. Serve it simply from the spoon, or on warm blinis with a little crème fraîche, with Champagne or ice-cold vodka alongside.