Sea of Success
Love, passion, attention, innovation, research and technology are the keys to the success of Koroleva caviar, as owner Ioana Barsan reveals to Edith Emeralda
he greens of england’s golf courses and countryside are no strangers to Ioana Barsan as she tries to tee off and hunt for antique books amid her busyness with all things around creatures of the briny blue. Being the owner of Koroleva caviar began with her love of luxury cuisine and her passion for quality ingredients comprising natural and raw food. “In Italy we are very conscious and aware about how we feed ourselves and about the origin of the products that we consume,” Ioana told Indonesia Tatler. “I guess it’s in the Italian DNA.”
Koroleva has gone on to become one of the best caviar brands in the world thanks to Ioana and her collaborators, family and co-workers, all of whom also believe in tradition and innovation; they have always supported and trusted her dream. “I wouldn’t have achieved the perfection of our product without a fundamental, vital figure on our team,” said Ioana. “He is our creative Chef George Florin, who has been with us for several years now.”
She further elaborated that George possesses incredible skills and the most sophisticated palate when creating and judging products. His knowledge, interest and concern about the past, present and future of food and its sustainability are also treasured. “One of our mottos is to never stop improving quality while preserving our farms’ natural environment and our sturgeons’ health as much as possible,” Ioana said. “Customers should only expect the best taste and quality from Koroleva.”
Back when the farms were small in size and number, her concerns was on how to deliver the most natural caviar with a spontaneous fresh taste. “There wasn’t really a clear business plan, but there were years spent on research and collaboration with food experts,” Ioana said. “It was all to deliver rich-flavoured caviar with no added chemicals, colourants or softeners.”
As a result, Koroleva is now a highly successful and covetable product around the world, including for private and corporate aviation caterings— Garuda Indonesia’s business- and first-class, to name one among many. “Another motto at Koroleva is ‘nothing is impossible when you believe that it’s possible’,” said Ioana. “Achieving the impossible is what I call a success.”
Keeping the brand relevant to generation after generation by working hard as if it was the company’s first day is the way to do it. “You have to surprise yourself before surprising others,” Ioana said. “Both mine and the team’s works in researching and innovating have to reflect a hunger in being the best as not to lose the freshness.”
Research and innovation in the company are even more important today because the number of wild sturgeons is depleting. Sturgeons existed in abundance until half a century ago and were the food of choice for Russians and Iranians, Ioana explained. Overfishing of the species led to near extinction until authorities banned it by law, thus encouraging growth of farmed sturgeon.
But recent rises in pollution and global warming are now posing other threats to the sturgeon population. “Sturgeons live and thrive in cold, clean waters,” said Ioana. “With global warming, this is a real danger that not only caviar farmers face and need to solve, but also all of us.” This ethic of working hard for the good of all is the advice she’d like to impart to young entrepreneurs: “Never stop pursuing what you dream and believe in,” Ioana said. “Keep pushing even if it hurts sometimes.”
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