‘It’s easy to forget how expensive the stuff you’re working with is,’ says Harry Ferguson (or ‘Haviar’ to his customers), as he transfers scoops of caviar from one large can into lots of smaller ones. ‘Sometimes we see a caviar that seems cheap or good value when it still costs hundreds or even thousands of pounds a kilo.’ I’m standing with him in a refrigerated room in Battersea, terrified that he’s going to drop something whilst learning more about one of the UK’s most interesting products. He’s the director of Exmoor Caviar and London Fine Foods – which supplies all sorts of caviar and other high-end foodstuffs to the UK’s best chefs – and has been working with one of the world’s most expensive ingredients for years. Perhaps that explains his very relaxed attitude while handling the jet-black eggs.
Devon is probably the last place you’d think to find sturgeon roe – a food that instantly conjures up images of Russian oligarchs, grand dining rooms and the height of luxurious living. But ever since sturgeon fishing was banned in 1998 due to depleted stocks there have been farms springing up all over the world. They’re much more sustainable, offer full traceability and give the caviar a sense of provenance. Exmoor Caviar was the first of its kind in the UK, and since 2010 it’s been the go-to source for Michelin-starred chefs looking for something really special to put on their menu.