London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Caviar for the masses? China certainly thinks so

Caviar for the masses? China certainly thinks so

The largest caviar maker in the world wants "normal people" to try the expensive delicacy.

Caviar was the traditional delicacy of the Caspian Sea but these days production has a new headquarters: China.

Qiandao (Thousand Island) lake lies 220 miles south of Shanghai. Fringed with mountains, it is a popular holiday spot for Chinese residents fleeing the summer heat of the city.

But it is also home to Kaluga Queen, the biggest caviar maker in the world, responsible for a third of global production.


The sturgeon are kept in floating pens in a corner of Qiandao lake in eastern China


Their caviar ends up everywhere. The company says their eggs have graced the tables of both Queen Elizabeth and Kim Jong Un.

Kaluga Queen plans to go public next year at a valuation of around £600m, the company told Sky News.

"In the beginning, people were surprised because: caviar, from China?" Han Lei, vice general manager of Kaluga Queen, said.

"They never heard about caviar from China. They had many doubts about the quality. About the safety.

"Today, we supply 25 countries and we work with around 100 distributors around the world."

The company was set up by officials from the Chinese ministry of agriculture, who started building their first farm in 2003.


Some of the sturgeon are worth as much as a Ferrari


It was good timing. In 2005, the US banned imports of beluga caviar from sturgeon caught in the Caspian sea because of fears overfishing would wipe out the species.

Farmed caviar is not subject to those restrictions.

"In 2006, we produced the first tins of farmed caviar from China," Mr Han said. "And after that we grew every year."

In a corner of the waters of Qiandao, floating metal and net structures pen in more than 1,000 sturgeon.

Some are up to two metres long and worth as much as a Ferrari, Mr Han said, because of the value of the eggs they carry.


After about four years in the lake, the sturgeon are taken to these inland pools where they live for at least another four years


Different breeds of sturgeon spend four or so years in the lake before they are transported to pools on land.

"We feed them and watch them growing from baby fish to a mature fish," Deny Yun, who manages the farm, told Sky News.

"We feel heart-broken when sending them to factory. But as a company, we have to do so. We must suffer this."

Once they are mature - at least eight years old but for some breeds as old as 15 - the sturgeon are taken to the processing factory.


The eggs are taken out of the sturgeon when they are at least eight years old


They are cut open still alive and the eggs are extracted before the sturgeon is killed and the rest of its body used for meat.

The eggs are cleaned, sorted and salted before they are tinned - a process that takes 15 minutes from start to finish.

Most of Kaluga Queen's caviar is sold under different brands abroad - in the UK it is sold through King's Fine Food, which is on sale at Fortnum and Mason's and Harrods.

But it also supplies customers in China using its own branding. And China is getting an appetite for the stuff.


The eggs are cleaned, sorted and salted then tinned

Prices start at 500 RMB (around £57) for 50g, going up to 9,000 RMB (£1,024) for a 50g tin of beluga caviar.


"We did a lot of promotion to introduce the caviar culture to Chinese people," Mr Han said.

"Now, more and more people start to consume caviar, to like caviar, to be caviar fans.

"The domestic market is growing very fast. After the virus is well controlled by the government, they're going to restaurants more.

"And more and more people like to enjoy the caviar."

That is helping to make up the shortfall in international orders as a result of COVID-19.


Deng Yun manages the farm which has more than 1,000 sturgeon


Kaluga produced 20% less caviar this year, although it aims to make up that deficit in 2021.

And there is a lot of room for growth. Current global production of caviar, from all producers, is around 300 tonnes.

In the heyday of the free-spending, status-flaunting 1980s, production peaked at 1,000 tonnes.

Mr Han said Kaluga Queen wants "normal people to have the chance to try caviar".

"In this way we can meet the demand all over the world," he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×