Vegan Caviar: What Faux Roe Means for Fine Vegan Dining

Vegan chefs have been hunting for a way to cut the fish farm out of caviar, and business is booming. Vegan Caviar, a kelp-based alternative to traditional caviar, has hit the market for limited distribution worldwide, with an upward trend to grow the market in 2025.

For most western cultures, vegan cooking holds a somewhat unfounded reputation for being difficult or unyielding, with early attempts at American veganism swinging wildly between harsh and bland flavors— poorly cooked, rubbery tofu, seasoned only lightly with salt; quinoa patties that have been seasoned within an inch of their life in an attempt at mimicking the flavor of meat.

But as palates evolve and the hippie veganism of the 70s has been widely embraced by wellness it-girls, there’s a new demographic in search of vegan dining options. Not only is veganism more widely accepted, but there’s also now a demand for it at a luxury level. 

Chef Daniel Humm of New York’s Eleven Madison Park made headlines earlier this year when his 3 Michelin star restaurant went completely vegan, making it one of the few vegan restaurants in the guide to earn the accolade. There are only 7 total vegan restaurants that have earned stars worldwide, including Plates London, which earned its star earlier this week. Eleven Madison Park is the only vegan restaurant with three.

Enter Alexis Gauthier, SoHo-based Vegan chef. Gauthier’s self-titled restaurant is also one of Michelin’s selected restaurants. His unique product, Vegan Caviar, is one of few vegan alternatives on the market, and the first of its kind to involve a chef backing like that of other high-profile caviar brands (Regiis Ova, for example, is co-founded by Chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry). That said, the product itself was born out of necessity. 

“There’s no gimmicks, we don’t have gimmicks,” said Gauthier Marketing Director James Lewis, who explains the company initially developed their vegan caviar when opening their vegan sushi concept, 123V. The vegan caviar offers the same fishy popping crunch of sturgeon roe without any of the farming or harvesting. Instead, it’s created through a culinary process where the primary ingredient is seaweed extract. 

Gauthier then released a small batch to the general public. At £50, or roughly $62, per can, the price is comparable to non-vegan caviar options, without reaching the highs of wild-caught or beluga caviar, which can cost anywhere from $300 to prices in the thousands. Each order is delivered in a luxurious box, and includes a letter from the chef, with a recipe for Vegan Blinis (a miniature crepe loaded with decadent toppings– see below). This past November they opened up distribution to countries around the globe. 

“It went completely crazy,” Lewis said, adding that the company now shuts down orders at noon every day to keep up with production. “We found it quite difficult because we do everything ourselves.” 

Lewis said the company is slated to open a France-based distribution center later this year to contend with Brexit-related trade restrictions. As it stands, a tin of Gauthier’s vegan caviar could make it to Texas before it could get to Paris. 

For fine dining, the growing popularity of vegan alternatives like this one show an interest in the market for high-end vegan options. With demand present, don’t be surprised if even more vegan fine dining restaurants appear on the global food and drink scene. 

As for the taste and texture of vegan caviar? It’s one of the most convincing vegan alternatives I’ve personally ever tasted. Slated on a blind taste test, you’d never be able to spot the vegan alternative from its roe counterparts. 

Vegan Blinis via Alexis Gauthier

Ingredients

100g (¾ cup) Plain Flour

¼ teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Caster Sugar

160ml (roughly ½ cup) Unsweetened Oat Milk

Instructions

Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk until you have a batter not too thick, similar to pouring cream consistency.

Heat a frying pan to medium heat with a drop of oil. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the batter into your pan. Let the blinis cook on the first side until you see lots of little holes, then flip. Cook for another 30 seconds on the second side, then remove to a piece of paper towel. Leave to cool completely before serving or place in a container and keep for up to 48 hours.

Serve the blinis with a dollop of good quality cream cheese (we recommend Bute Island ‘Sheese’ or Julienne Bruno ‘Burella’. Place half a teaspoon of Gauthier Caviar on top. Enjoy with a glass of Champagne!