Spear’s has struck a deal with King’s Fine Foods, Britain’s largest importers of caviar and suppliers of provisions to Fortnum & Mason and Buckingham Palace
Caviar comes from virgin sturgeon;
Virgin sturgeon’s a very fine dish;
Very few sturgeon are ever virgin;
That’s why caviar’s a very rare dish.
In a sign of how far we have fallen into barbarity, it’s practically impossible to get a boiled egg with a generous spoonful of caviar at a London restaurant any more. It’s just too prelapsarian, a taste of the good times. But thanks to modern technology, you can recreate this wonder at home: all you need is an egg, a saucepan and some caviar.
Ah yes, the caviar. Unless you own a sizeable sturgeon farm on the banks of the Caspian Sea (and a very sharp knife), you’ll probably obtain your caviar from one of London’s major retail emporia, or perhaps – as is increasingly becoming popular – through mail order. (If your postie can lug an entire round of Stilton to your door, there’s no excuse for not putting a tiny tin in the mail.) That’s why Spear’s has struck a deal with King’s Fine Foods, Britain’s largest importers of caviar and suppliers of provisions to Fortnum & Mason and Buckingham Palace.
Laura and John King founded their business on caviar, though soon diversified into Amedei chocolates and Boyajian oils and other luxury foodstuffs. Despite Russian and Arab HNWs still jonesing for caviar, Laura King says, we ‘don’t consume huge amounts. Years ago it was normal for one person to buy a kilo of caviar. Today this is very rare and we may only sell caviar in such large volumes once of twice a year – perhaps because wild Beluga caviar now retails for £10,000 per kilo.’ Now that caviar can be sustainably farmed, even those with an environmental tinge can enjoy it.
Those Spear’s readers thinking of stocking up on Christmas gifts or even just embellishing their quotidian egg and soldiers can obtain a 15 per cent discount on King’s farmed beluga caviar, Royal Belgian caviar and Rio Frio caviar (the world’s only organic caviar) in 30g, 50g and 100g tins. Just quote ‘Spear’s’ when you call King’s Fine Food on 020 8894 1111 to receive your discount (valid until 30 November); this offer cannot be redeemed online.
See www.kingsfinefood.co.uk for their full range