Exmoor Caviar

Exmoor Caviar has documented roots in sturgeon farming in north Devon, but its name also covers caviar sourced from other countries. The company's published range therefore cannot be treated as entirely British-farmed. Its founding story centres on Ken Benning, while the legal records require a distinction between the farming company, similarly named entities and ownership of the brand itself.

House fact box

Who is behind Exmoor Caviar?

The company's own history dates the business to 2010 and names Ken Benning as its founder. Companies House records a later incorporation: EXMOOR CAVIAR FARMING LTD was incorporated on 2 November 2012 and originally carried the name THE EXMOOR CAVIAR COMPANY LTD until October 2016. A brand's starting date and a company's incorporation date need not be identical.

The farming company is active and lists freshwater aquaculture as its business activity. Its registered office is 35 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5BF, and its register of persons with significant control names Kenneth Richard Benning as having significant influence or control. That wording does not establish a particular shareholding percentage or ownership of every business using the Exmoor name.

A separate company, THE EXMOOR CAVIAR COMPANY LTD (14819605), was incorporated on 21 April 2023. It is active but gives dormant-company activity, with a registered office at Swallow Barn, Meshaw, Devon. Its control record names Patrick Noble, with at least 75% of shares and voting rights and the right to appoint or remove directors.

These are distinct legal entities, not interchangeable versions of the same entry. The practical safeguard is to match the legal name on an invoice or supply agreement with the relevant company number, rather than choosing whichever Companies House result most resembles the brand.

What the British farming record establishes

British farming was reported in July 2014. A July 2014 SeafoodSource report described Exmoor preparing for its second production season, following an initial season in 2013. It identified Benning and the father and son fish-farming team Pat and George Noble, and described production in freshwater tanks supplied by the River Mole in north Devon.

The same report quoted Benning saying Siberian sturgeon was the only species then in production. It also explained that mature female fish had been imported from Germany. This separates the history of the live fish from the location where they were subsequently farmed and their roe processed. It does not make all later Exmoor caviar German or British by association.

A Great British Chefs feature originally dated June 2017 described Siberian sturgeon at the Devon farm and reported a visit to a refrigerated Battersea room where Harry Ferguson transferred caviar from larger containers into smaller ones. The feature describes farming in Devon and repacking in Battersea as separate activities.

The company's account also says it merged with importer and distributor Shah Caviar in 2017. Together, these records support a business combining a British farming history with an international supply range. For the wider national picture, read British caviar; this profile concerns the house, not every British producer.

Which species and origins are documented?

Exmoor's published range maps Cornish Salted and Baerii to Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), Imperial Oscietra to Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Imperial Beluga to Huso huso, and Golden Almas to sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). These mappings matter more than words such as Imperial or Golden, which should not be read as species names.

For Royal Beluski, the company names Kaluga (Huso dauricus) and Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) as the parent species. A trade description alone should not be converted into a CITES hybrid code.

A distributor's February 2019 page supplies a historical product-by-product provenance record: British Cornish Salted Baerii; German Baerii, Imperial Oscietra and Golden Almas; Chinese Royal Beluski; and Iranian Imperial Beluga. This is attributed distributor information, not a verified list of November 2026 suppliers. It shows why neither the house name nor the fish's common name can settle the origin of a current batch.

What Exmoor Caviar is known for

The company describes its Cornish Salted caviar as Siberian sturgeon roe associated with Devon farming and Cornish sea salt. The salt's origin is a separate ingredient claim, not evidence that every tin in the wider range contains British roe. Exmoor's company history and the regional business directory both emphasise this connection.

The company also describes smoked caviar made with smoked caviar oil, and a kombu version using oil infused with seaweed. Those are descriptions of flavoured caviar products, not evidence of additional fish species. Club Oenologique reported in January 2020 that Exmoor sent sturgeon meat to a smokehouse partner.

The company also describes smoked caviar made with smoked caviar oil, and a kombu version using oil infused with seaweed.

Its royal-permission story belongs in a different category. Exmoor says it obtained royal permission to farm sturgeon in 2013.

How to read British origin on its labels

Exmoor says the species appears on the top label and provenance on the CITES label underneath. Under the CITES labelling system, a repacked tin identifies the country of origin and the repacking operation separately. The system is implemented through national or regional law; a British repacker's details do not make overseas roe British.

A CITES label provides traceability information, not independent proof of the contents. Read origin versus repacking for the distinction, and checking a producer's registration for checking the operation. APHA, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, handles UK CITES permits through its wildlife licensing service.

The historical distributor page prints label information containing a British plant reference, but that is not a substitute for a current official register match. Registration must be checked against the relevant processing or repacking operation, not assumed from the brand alone.

British branding and food labelling

In Great Britain, food information rules require origin information where its omission could mislead consumers. A geographical name, the place of packing and the origin of an ingredient are not necessarily the same thing. The question is what the presentation communicates about the particular food.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland also need to be distinguished: the FSA's guidance identifies EU origin rules as applying in Northern Ireland. For the domestic legal framework, use UK caviar rules, rather than treating a company profile as a legal clearance.

In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 prohibits misleading food information and requires origin information in certain circumstances. US nonbinding FDA guidance recommends unqualified caviar for salted sturgeon roe, equally sized and prominent fish names for other roe, and prominent declarations of added artificial colour. Wildlife labelling and import requirements must also be checked for the destination and the movement.

Where to go next

• Caviar Houses and Producers: compare the different roles behind caviar brands.
• Caviar in the UK: explore the cultural setting separately from production provenance.