CROE Brand Story

1

MISSION STATEMENT “CROE marks a new generation of caviar honouring flavour, experience and the heritage of the Caspian Sea. Founded by three friends joined by their mission to bring caviar to a contemporary audience of gastronomes, CROE is authentic Imperial Beluga of exceptional quality.”

2

CONTENTS 4.

OUR VALUES

5-6.

OUR STORY

7-9.

OUR FOUNDERS

10.

OUR CAVIAR

11.

TASTING NOTES

12 -13.

OUR VISUAL IDENTITY

14-18.

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS 19-21.

OUR COMMUNICATIONS

22-24.

OUR PARTNERS

25-27.

OUR TEAM

3

OUR VALUES

HERITAGE

GASTRONOMY

SUSTAINABILITY

4

OUR STORY CROE celebrates the marriage of contemporary attitudes with a truly authentic heritage product. The brand has looked to the history and story behind caviar every step of the way to understand the meaning behind such a luxury product.

OUR HERITAGE TIMELINE:

CRETACEOUS PERIOD 100 MILLION YEARS AGO

PERSIAN, EGYPTIAN GREEK & ROMAN EMPIRES

Sturgeon fossils have dated back to this point.

Caviar is enjoyed throughout these reigning empires, becoming a key commodity on the Silk Route.

4TH CENTURY GREECE The first written reference to caviar is made by Aristotle, although caviar’s export routes by this time were already extending over 2,000km.

11TH-15TH CENTURY MIDDLE AGE ENGLAND Caviar is referred to as ‘The Royal Fish’, kept exclusively for the monarch.

1600, ENGLAND Shakespeare mentions caviar in Hamlet; ‘caviare to the general’, as a metaphor for something being obscure enough to go over the heads of everyday people.

16TH-18TH CENTURY RUSSIA The emperors refer to caviar as ‘Black Gold’, with Ivan the Terrible demanding conquered territories to pay him in caviar.

5

OUR STORY CROE has been founded by three friends, Mo, Konstantin and Zee, each with their own connection to caviar on a shared mission to bring caviar to a new audience of younger gastronomes.

6

OUR FOUNDERS MO CROE founder and CEO, Mo grew up in Iran, with familial roots by the Caspian Sea - the birthplace of caviar - going back generations. He remembers feasting on traditionally presented caviar as a child; a flavour that sparked a life-long love. Now based in London, he has seen the younger generations feel alienated by something that should bring people together, hence his decision to start at the beginning. Mo has spent years searching for the perfect sturgeon, farms and partners, ensuring a sustainable operation that doesn’t compromise on quality, to produce a caviar to be enjoyed and celebrated with friends and family, far and wide.

7

OUR FOUNDERS KONSTANTIN: In contrast to his co-founders, Konstantin didn’t fall in love with caviar until it was prepared as part of an intricate culinary dish. Ever since, the caviar convert has been determined to show people how caviar can be used as a hero ingredient within gastronomy, whilst celebrating its playful side rather than shrouding it with the traditional intimidation. Konstantin’s goal is to see the world appreciate caviar in the same way they do truffles; a centerpiece of gastronomy for both chefs and consumers.

8

OUR FOUNDERS ZEE: Born in Togo, raised in Lebanon and now based in Qatar, CROE’s cofounder Zee has travelled the world. But, he remembers his first taste of caviar at home as a child on New Year’s Eve surrounded by his family. He still reminisces over the ceremony and anticipation around it, alongside the rich, buttery flavours. Zee wants to share in his experience, and for CROE to become one of the world’s best-loved, luxury brands as caviar becomes a central part of occasion for gastronomes.

9

OUR CAVIAR

10

TASTING NOTES: BELUGA Beluga caviar from the Huso Huso species of sturgeon is one of the rarest caviars in the world, producing steely grey to grey-black speckled pearls which are prized by connoisseurs.

The large roe from the extremely rare Huso Huso species provide a supremely subtle but rich and buttery taste with creamy undertones and no bitterness.

The gentle combination of umami flavours offer a truly unique and long lasting flavour, dancing on the palate before leaving a gentle hint of hazelnuts.

11

OUR VISUAL IDENTITY ILLUSTRATING OUR STORY It’s essential to the CROE brand story that our consumers can visualize and understand our full journey. Whilst our visuals are contemporary and elegant throughout, through illustrations we are also able to add romanticism and story-telling to our communications, educating our consumers in an engaging, forward-thinking manner.

12

OUR VISUAL IDENTITY WORKING WITH CLYM EVERNDEN As a brand launching exclusively in the UK, it’s important to CROE to work with aligned partners from both a luxury and heritage point of view. Clym Evernden has risen to fame over recent years following his illustrative partnerships with luxury brands across fashion, jewellery and hospitality, including Claridge’s and Tiffany & Co., and CROE saw him as the perfect partner to launch our brand. His whimsical yet elevated style fit with our brand messaging of bringing a traditional product into the 21st Century, and we are delighted to have been able to work with him to create our bespoke illustrations across printed and digital communications, including website, direct mail, social and DTC brochures.

13

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS THERMIC BAGS Our thermic bags have been designed with sustainability and functionality in mind, incorporating a re-useable seal and thermic lining to keep the caviar at a chilled temperature for journeys up to 24 hours. The black and gold branded design creates an elevated look, and the QR code linking to our website allows consumers to engage as much as possible with the brand and concept. The bags can hold 2X 50g tins of caviar with 2X ice packs and our DTC brochure.

ICE PACKS CROE uses branded gel ice packs that can be re-frozen at home or emptied out into the sink before being disposed of to recycle, ensuring our impact on the environment remains positive whilst we keep our caviar at the preferred temperature in transit.

14

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS WOOLCOOL BAGS For deliveries outside of London, our caviar is delivered in both our thermic bags and bespoke designed WoolCool bags as an added measure, ensuring the product stays at the optimum temperature for up to 48 hours in transit.

By incorporating wool, not only do we have superior insulating properties to synthetic materials, but it is also fully compostable and biodegradable, available in abundance as a bi-product of sheep rearing.

DTC BROCHURE ‘The CROE brochure is included with all orders to educate our consumers on the brand journey from beginning to end, from our heritage and story to the tasting notes on each individual caviar product, including our founders’ preferred serving suggestions to offer further inspiration.

15

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS MOTHER OF PEARL SPOONS CROE chooses to use Mother of Pearl spoons as it imparts no additional flavour to our product, whereas more typical metals can leave a lingering metallic taste. We work with a special variety of Mother of Pearl with a black backing, infusing the traditional shades of cream with our more contemporary brand palette.

TIN OPENERS CROE’s bespoke tin openers have been created to ensure a simple but luxurious experience when opening a tin of caviar. The opener represents our hero logo, with the metal laser cut to create rounded edges to best replicate the eggs.

16

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS GIFT BAGS Our gift bags are designed to hold our thermic bags when CROE is being shared as a present. The bag is handmade with a heavy gsm paper, so it’s both sturdy and elegant, with a matte finish and embossed CROE branding to create an elevated, recognizable product.

RIBBON CROE ribbon is used to secure our gift bags, and to tie any additional accessories within the bag. It is black with gold CROE foiling that shimmers in the light, catching the eye of the consumer and completing the gift packaging.

17

OUR PACKAGING & COLLATERALS TISSUE PAPER CROE uses simple matte black tissue paper to wrap small items and to line gift bags, providing protection and added texture to the complete package.

STICKERS Golden CROE stickers come in two sizes – one to secure tissue paper around accessories, such as Mother of Pearl spoons and tin openers, and another to secure thermic bags, so consumers can feel assured that their package hasn’t been tampered with. They have a gloss finish to lightly lift the overall look of the matte bags and tissue paper.

18

OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECT MAIL • CROE’s direct mail communications are curated to educate and engage our audience, with content varying across our brand pillars • Frequent content includes recipe features from well known chefs and tasting notes from caviar expert and CROE partner, Matthew Du Cann • CROE shares as much content from our partners as possible, including our sustainable mission with Earthly and our pairing guides with beverage partner, Guillem Kerambrun

19

OUR COMMUNICATIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA • CROE’s Instagram is a visual representation of our brand in look, style and tone of voice • CROE’s content tells the whole story of our brand, from heritage to gastronomy and press coverage • The brand encourages engagement through regular Q&As, consistent hashtagging and story reposting mission with Earthly and our pairing guides with beverage partner, Guillem Kerambrun

20

OUR COMMUNICATIONS

WEBSITE • CROE’s website provides a guide to our consumers on the brand as a whole, with written and visual story-telling throughout.

• Consumers can discover the story behind CROE in detail, as well as our charitable mission and intricate notes on each of our caviar products, providing them with all the knowledge and confidence they need to buy online.

• CROE dedicates a page to ‘Our Partners’, celebrating our brand collaborations with likeminded companies and individuals spanning from hospitality to sustainability.

21

OUR PARTNERS EARTHLY CROE has partnered with Earthly as a key part of the brand’s sustainability goals. The UK environmental charity actively fights climate change and deforestation in the poorest parts of the world, enabling fellow brands to support their mission to achieve climate positivity.

Together, Earthly and CROE are planting Mangrove trees with aim of planting over 500 million trees by 2025. With an initial contribution of 1,000 trees, and CROE’s commitment to plant 1 tree for every 10g sold, we are determined to ensure our business is 100% carbon neutral to thrive as a sustainable business.

By planting Mangroves, CROE is not only combatting CO2 levels, but also increasing biodiversity, reducing coastal sediment, and providing jobs for the local community.

CROE shares regular content around our partnership with Earthly, particularly engaging our eco-conscious consumers to keep their mind at ease knowing we are fighting to ensure our business has a positive impact on the planet.

22

OUR PARTNERS MY FRENCH SOMMELIER My French Sommelier is CROE’s exclusive beverage partner, working to provide our consumers with the finest pairings to our caviar. Striving to offer something a little more imaginative and contemporary than the traditional vodka accompaniment, My French Sommelier Founder, Guillem Kerambrun, brings his 20 years of hospitality experience to CROE to ensure each pairing enhances the flavour profile of our caviar without detracting from it.

All content curated in partnership with My French Sommelier is posted across both brands communications, including social media, direct mail and website, allowing consumers to purchase their caviar and paired beverage through one e-commerce site for ease.

My French Sommelier works to improve the beverage experience across hospitality, working with brands to offer invaluable skills to coach teams and improve wine programmes, curating the complete guest experience. Led by Kerambrun, the company also helps individual consumers to build their private cellars and understand their particular palette to find their favourite cru.

23

OUR PARTNERS CHEF TOM FRASER Chef Tom Fraser started his culinary career at Scott’s in 2009, and apart from leaving for a 2 year project in 2014, he has worked there ever since. He now holds the Senior Sous Chef position at the legendary restaurant, serving traditional fish and shellfish dishes alongside seasonal meat on Mayfair’s Mount Street.

CROE has chosen to work with Fraser for his innovative and contemporary approach to cooking with caviar. He has crafted a selection of recipes championing our Beluga caviar alongside eggs, fish and meat, proving its versatility in a range of dishes… as well as, the simpler options alongside blinis and traditional accoutrements should our consumers prefer.

24

OUR TEAM KATE DE’ATH CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Following 15 years of global experience in luxury lifestyle marketing, Kate De’Ath brings invaluable expertise to the team at CROE. De’Ath’s impressive career in launching complex global openings targeted at UHNW clients has given her a strong international network across luxury, hospitality and key society profiles, alongside the ability to bring a vision to life when it comes to building a luxury brand from scratch.

Her role as Global Brand Marketing & Partnerships Director at Ralph Lauren included executing strategic brand activations, such as St Moritz Snow Polo and Wimbledon Tennis Championships sponsorship & strategy from 2012- 2016, as well as leading the marketing on all new flagship openings in Europe, the Middle East and Russia. De’Ath then moved to focus on hospitality, working with Ornellaia and Masseto Winery, Capri Palace and D Maris Bay, before taking the role of Group Marketing and PR Director at Caprice Holdings. Her reputation for conceptualizing and executing strategic brand activations from a 360 degree perspective across the luxury lifestyle space remains unparalleled, ensuring CROE grows to become a global leader as an F&B brand.

25

OUR TEAM GUILLEM KERAMBRUN CHIEF BEVERAGE ADVISOR Guillem Kerambrun joined the CROE team to enhance the gastronomic offering, providing innovative and thoughtful pairings to each of our caviar products. Following a stellar career in wine and hospitality, most recently as Director of Fine Wine and Private Clients at Berkmann Wine Cellars, Kerambrun’s oenological knowledge and his business venture, My French Sommelier, provide the expertise CROE needs to bring our consumers something completely unique.

Kerambrun’s impressive resumé starts with his role as Deputy Wine Director for Alain Ducasse, managing 27 restaurants and 70 sommeliers around the world for 13 years with 2 years in New York as Beverage Director for the group. A highlight from this time included leading the wine programming for the 2011 wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco.

He moved on to become Head of Wine at Caprice Holdings & Birley Clubs, famously launching Annabel’s in 2018 and curating their globally renowned wine list whilst crafting unique partnerships with the world’s most prestigious vineyards, from Harlan Estate to Sassicaia…

‘Guillem Kerambrun, the man behind London’s top wine lists.’ - Evening Standard.

26

OUR TEAM MATTHEW DU CANN EXPERT CAVIAR CONSULTANT With decades of hospitality experience from working with both independent and global corporations, Matthew Du Cann brings a wealth of knowledge to CROE, ensuring we can provide our consumers with the highest quality education when it comes to the complex world of caviar.

Du Cann’s varied career has spread across both hospitality and food & beverage brands, from the world’s first caviar infused vodka, L’Orbe, to Casamigos, providing him with vital industry knowledge and expertise. Du Cann is the first to sample CROE caviar before it goes into production and packaging, testing its quality and flavour profiles.

Once approved, he provides the team with detailed tasting notes to communicate exactly what our consumers can expect when they try CROE caviar for the first time, including flavour intensity, richness and texture.

27