On November 6, 2025, the Principality of Monaco will once again remind the world that refinement and innovation can indeed coexist. At the Yacht Club de Monaco, the World Caviar Awards will return for its second edition, transforming the harbour.
Founded by Laurent Morin, the event is a declaration of love to patience, to mastery, and to the elegance of caviar. “The key was to create a credible, transparent project built on shared values: passion for the product, respect for craftsmanship, and the desire to share it with consumers,” Morin explains.
From Saint-Émilion to Monaco: The Evolution of an Idea
The inaugural edition in 2024 at the Château Grand Barrail in Saint-Émilion set a precedent., But the move to Monaco marks a new chapter.
“Holding the second edition here gives caviar a prestigious stage, accessible to a cosmopolitan audience, ….” says Morin.
Under the high patronage of Her Highness Princess Yasmine Murat, Princess of Pontecorvo, the event embodies the Principality’s unique balance between grandeur and accessibility. What was once the delicacy of royal courts now finds itself reimagined for a new generation of connoisseurs eager to explore.
The Competition: A Ballet of Precision and Palate
At the core of the event lies the blind tasting, a meticulous ritual conducted under identical conditions, from temperature to serving, ensuring absolute impartiality.
Competitors from 20 countries, including Russia, Iran, France, Italy, China, and the United States, will submit their finest caviars, each representing distinct methods, philosophies, and terroirs.
Two sworn bailiffs will oversee the process as the distinguished jury, composed of Michelin-starred chefs, gastronomic experts, and members of Monaco’s princely circle, evaluates each entry individually, no discussion, no influence, only the purity of taste.
Each caviar will be judged according to appearance, texture, balance, and length on the palate, elements that together compose the sensory poetry of this legendary delicacy.
An Evening of Elegance: Beyond the Competition
When the last pearl has been tasted and the scores tallied, the evening will unfold into a gastronomic celebration.
A prestigious cocktail reception will open the festivities, leading into an exclusive ten-hands caviar dinner, where world-class chefs collaborate to reinterpret caviar in unexpected ways, contemporary, audacious, and yet deeply respectful of tradition. Only 220 privileged guests will be present, each participant sharing in an experience destined to linger far longer than its flavours.
“Caviar is no longer reserved for an elite few,” Morin reflects. “Thanks to the creativity of chefs, it is now regarded in haute cuisine as a full-fledged ingredient, while retaining its aura of rarity.”
A Universal Delicacy, A Global Stage
The World Caviar Awards are a cultural crossroads. Each jar of caviar tells a story: of rivers and farms, of patience and precision, of cultures that view the same pearl through different prisms of taste.
“Organizing such an event provides an international platform for producers, much like existing competitions for wine or cheese,” says Morin. “It allows us to celebrate diversity while upholding excellence.”
Monaco, with its timeless blend of luxury and openness, is the ideal host. “It embodies a certain art of living,” Morin concludes. “Bringing this project here is a true honour.”
November 6, 2025 — The Principality Becomes the Capital of Caviar
For one extraordinary day, Monaco will stand at the epicenter of the world’s most refined taste, uniting tradition and innovation, land and sea, craftsmanship and artistry.
The 2025 Official Jury — Yacht Club de Monaco
Category: Merchants / Affineurs
• Gérald Passedat – Chef, Le Petit Nice, Marseille
• Pascal Garrigues – Executive Chef, Monte-Carlo Beach
• Pierre Casiraghi – Vice-President, Yacht Club de Monaco
• Eulalie Rus – MOF Fishmonger & Shellfish Seller
• Bernard d’Alessandri – Director General, Yacht Club de Monaco
• Franck Garanger – Culinary Director, Explora Journeys
• Laurent Soler – Former Chamberlain to Prince Albert II
• Pierre Frolla – World Record Freediver
• Kateryna Merkulova-Legrand – Caviar Producer
• Louise Petirenaud – Gastronomic Journalist
Category: Producers / Farms
• Philippe Joannes – MOF 2000, Culinary Consultant, Yacht Club de Monaco
• Pascal Krettly – Marine Commander
• Michel Portos – Chef and Restaurateur
• Christian Garcia – Chef, Princely Palace of Monaco
• Michel Roth – MOF and Bocuse d’Or
• Karim Moubarik – CEO & Founder, Caviar Lianozoff, Dubai
• Erwann Guegan – Co-founder, CIO Monte-Carlo Lifestyle
• Biagio Carà – Caviar Merchant & Affineur
• Franck Couecou – Former Prestige PR Manager, Moët & Chandon
• Claire Verneil – Pastry Che
