On a rather cold and grey day 26 members and non-members gathered for the first of the FBN’s 2023 social days at ‘Caviar de Neuvic’ a place that we would thoroughly recommend you visit. The estate is set on the banks of the tranquil Lisle River in the Dordogne, which provided a pleasant backdrop for our tour of the farm, its basins and pools. Our English-speaking guide was well informed and humorous, giving us an incredible insight not only into these fish – a beluga sturgeon can live up to 150 years and weigh up to one ton – but also how they are farmed. The female sturgeon, known affectionately as ‘princesses’, spend at least 7 years in their basins before they deliver their first egg! At one point, four of our more adventurous members donned the necessary waterproofs and waded into the dark cold water to try their hand at picking up one of these very large slimy fish.
After our tour of the farm, we entered the modern and stylish theatre room to be treated with a tasting which included a glass of bubbly and some heavenly smooth black caviar; no wonder more caviar is eaten in France than any other country in the world. This tasting paved the way for a heartwarming meal at a local restaurant where we spent the next few hours chatting and getting to know each other. It was warming to hear one of our members thanking the FBN so gratefully for organizing these events and enabling people not only to explore France, but also to socialise.
