Alongside the Lascaux caves and medieval castles, it has become one of the Dordogne department's most popular tourist attractions. In Neuvic-sur-l'Isle, Laurent Deverlanges' organic sturgeon farm is open to tourists, and the highlight of the visit is the opportunity to go down into a tank with these peaceful fish, the largest of which can measure over 1 meter in length.
"It's a powerful way of recruiting new consumers who may be intimidated by a product associated with luxury", explains the founder and CEO.
Naturally, Laurent Deverlanges welcomes many foreign tourists to this region, which is very popular with the British, Belgians, Dutch and Germans, who always finish their tour in the boutique, where he sells his entire production and, more recently, a local vodka, ideal for accompanying his caviar.
Not just luxury:
It's no longer surprising to see caviar and vodka among the Périgord's specialties. But it's a testament to the region's incredible dynamism.
It's been twelve years since this former consultant with a major Anglo-Saxon firm created Caviar de Neuvic from scratch, which today employs 67 people and generates sales of 8.5 million euros, with a target profit of 300,000 euros by 2023.
"I had long had the ambition of setting up my own business.
I bought this former carp and trout farm in 2011 and invested 3.5 million euros, including 1.5 million in bank loans and 1.8 million from private investors", confides Laurent Deverlanges.
A number of investment funds came on board as capital was raised, and today, luxury SME specialist Olma holds 25% of the capital alongside the founder (26%). This fund, which has big plans for the caviar market, is also a shareholder in Prunier, another French caviar brand, formerly owned by businessman Pierre Bergé. A merger is planned between Prunier and Neuvic, but is not yet effective.
A special feature of Neuvic is that its production is certified organic, and the SME, which has become a "company with a mission" and is highly committed to sustainable development, has been awarded B-Corp certification in 2023.
A virtuous way to stand out from the competition when you're the latest of France's seven sturgeon farms but the first to go organic: "We add value to 95% of the sturgeon, producing smoked fish, rillettes, Bordier caviar butter, truffle butter and sturgeon rillettes butter," asserts Laurent Deverlanges.
This diversification enables the brand to offer a whole range of products that are more accessible than sturgeon eggs, and thus to attract a very broad customer base.
From caviar to truffles:
The company was soon able to export up to 10% of its production, driven by strong international demand. This historic opportunity has enabled French caviar to occupy a leading position in world trade.
"The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) banned all exploitation of wild sturgeon in 2010, when almost all production came from fishing in the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal," explains Laurent Deverlanges.
France, Italy, Russia, the United States and above all China, now the world's leading producer, have invited themselves into the business.
France had a good command of fish farming technology and had been at the heart of the trade in precious Caspian waterfowl roe for almost a century, since the arrival of the White Russians in Paris in 1917.
There were two important elements to master," reveals the Neuvic boss.
On the one hand, the breeding of this very sensitive and fragile fish. And secondly, the maturing of the roe to reveal its subtle, sought-after flavor. Neuvic acquired this mastery in just a few years, shipping its tins to Japan (half of its exports go to Japanese luxury restaurants), Germany, Australia, Singapore and Romania in particular.
"We're developing our foreign sales slowly, as we have a culture of slowness linked to the biological rhythm of our fish, which take at least seven years to grow before becoming productive," explains Laurent Deverlanges.
Discover Caviar de Neuvic website
