EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: That sounds fishy! Queen's caviar is not quite what it says on the tin

 When the Queen is served caviar, she would expect to be offered the finest in the world, but I can reveal that the royal warrant holder has been discovered supplying a very 'fishy' product.

King's Fine Food, which also supplies top London venues including The Ritz and Claridge's hotel, is now being investigated by the Food Standards Agency after I found that the company had labelled its cheap hybrid caviar from a Belgian fish farm as luxury rare sturgeon eggs from Russia.

'It is no different to putting a cheap red wine in a rare red wine bottle and claiming it's a vintage,' a caviar expert tells me.

The luxury food giant achieved the honour of selling its products to Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It touts itself as the purveyor of the 'finest caviar in the world'.

The Queen may not be getting the finest caviar as expected, writes RICHARD EDEN 

A tin of its product, sold for £130 at a top London restaurant, claims on the label that it is the rare and luxurious 'Platinum Stellatus' Caviar, the species name of Sevruga caviar from the Caspian Sea.

However, my investigation discovered that the eggs contained were actually the cheaper hybrid eggs made with a male Gueldenstaedtii crossed with female Baerii sturgeon.

'We are aware of reports of caviar that has been incorrectly labelled in relation to its authenticity,' a source at the Food Standards Agency tells me.

'We are assessing the information provided to us and will ensure any necessary action is taken to ensure food is what it says it is.'

King's Fine Food, which also supplies top London venues including The Ritz and Claridge's hotel, is now being investigated by the Food Standards Agency (stock image) 

King's Fine Food has been in trouble before, selling caviar labelled as Sevruga to Fortnum and Mason, which a DNA test found to be cheaper, inferior eggs. At the time, King's blamed the fish farm.

Its owner, Laura King, insists it was all a misunderstanding.

'It was a printing error, but obviously the buck stops with us,' she tells me, declining to say how long it's been mislabelling its products.

'We have new labels printed and they are on the tins now. Mentioning the species on the label is not a legal requirement.'

If only all our mistakes could be so lucrative . . .

 

 Could Alpha float Boris's boat? 

An artist impression of the new national flagship, the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia

An artist impression of the new national flagship, the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia

Boris Johnson refuses to abandon his plans for a new 'royal' yacht — even though the Queen doesn't want one.

Perhaps he could compromise by buying HM a second-hand one, such as the yacht belonging to Belgium's former monarch, King Albert II, and his wife, Queen Paola, which is on the market for £1.71 million.

The 92ft Alpa IV, which is currently moored in the south of France, has two double cabins and two twins, with room for 12 guests.

Albert, 87, abdicated for health reasons in 2013.

 

Are  Matt Hancock and his lover, Gina Coladangelo, still in tune? I ask only because the former Health Secretary attended a Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday without his former aide and was seen 'flirting' with a glamorous blonde guest at a party in South Kensington later that evening.

'He seemed very much like a man enjoying being single,' a fellow guest tells me. 'He was certainly turning on the charm, and was knocking back the shots.'

Hancock has just returned from Cornwall, where he was surfing on a holiday with his three children. His estranged wife, Martha, is said to have stayed elsewhere in the resort.

 

 How do you untie this knot, Ella? 

How do you like to relax on holiday? Well, there's no lying round on a sun lounger for food blogger 'Deliciously Ella' Mills, whose idea of taking it easy is doing impressive yoga stunts on the beach.

The 30-year-old daughter of former minister Shaun Woodward and supermarket heiress Camilla Sainsbury performed this cross-legged headstand, which she admits she's had to remaster after giving birth to her second daughter, May, last October.

The mother of two says she's 'slowly building [her] strength again'

The mother of two says she's 'slowly building [her] strength again' 

'It's been a long time since I could do this,' says Ella (inset). 'I'm slowly building strength again after the girlies and it feels so good.'

 

Jeeves, these days, would apparently have an income almost as big as Wooster's. For I hear a 'distinguished' American couple are advertising for a traditional English butler, on a salary of up to £108,000 — more than three times an average British pay packet. The Jeeves-style flunkey must travel with the 'prominent philanthropists' between their three homes in the States. And the successful candidate must also be willing to travel abroad. 'You should be experienced in dealing with VIPs,' warns the ad with British-based firm Polo & Tweed.

 

'Wedding belle' Getty in a hotpants hen do

Ivy was spotted dancing on stage at the JackieO’ Mykonos Beach Club with her artist and musician cousin Isabel Getty and other friends, who all wore pink hotpants

Ivy was spotted dancing on stage at the JackieO' Mykonos Beach Club with her artist and musician cousin Isabel Getty and other friends, who all wore pink hotpants

Heiress Ivy Getty is not due to marry London-born tech whizz Toby Engel until November, but she couldn't wait to put on a wedding dress.

The great-granddaughter of Jean Paul Getty, the oil tycoon who was once the world's richest man, slipped into a bridal gown and veil and let her hair down for her hen do on the Greek holiday island of Mykonos.

The model, 26, was seen dancing on stage at the JackieO' Mykonos Beach Club with her artist and musician cousin Isabel Getty (far left) and other friends, who all wore pink hotpants. 'We barely took any pictures, but that always means it was lots of fun,' says Ivy, who describes the night as 'the most amazing bachelorette ever'.

 

Rapper Stormzy's installation in Madame Tussauds gave Boy George pause to consider the fleeting nature of waxwork fame. 'I think I was melted down and turned into the Spice Girls,' the 1980s pop star bemoans. It wasn't the diva's last meltdown either.

 

 Myleene keeps a high speed date with fiance 

Myleene was out on the town for the opening night of smash hit musical Jersey Boys in London

Radio star Myleene Klass enjoyed a rare date with her fiance, fashion PR Simon Motson, last night. The former pop star, 43, was at the new opening night of smash hit musical Jersey Boys in London's West End. 'We're so out of practice when it comes to date nights as we have five children at home,' she tells me. 'When we got in the car, we just looked at each other, then looked at the driver and said: 'Start your engine — and drive fast!'

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