A Farm Announces Theft of €90K Worth of Snails
Burglars made off with snails worth €90,000 from a producer in northern France that supplies high-end restaurants.
The snail farm in the Bouzy area, near Reims, reported that its entire stock of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “major setback” just ahead of the holiday season.
The thieves broke into the farm during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a perimeter fence before accessing storage facilities.
Law enforcement were notified later in the week, and officers are currently pursuing leads.
Meanwhile, the business is striving to replenish its supplies to meet holiday demand from customers.
Snails: A French Gourmet Treat
Escargot are considered a French delicacy, typically prepared in butter with garlic or wine before being extracted from their shells.
Farmers in France often see a surge in demand around the month of December, as consumers treat themselves with the specialty for Christmas and New Year's Day festivities.
“This is certainly not the kind of post we thought we’d write as the festive season near,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a statement regarding the incident.
The statement went on to characterize the robbery as “a shock, bewildering, and a real blow to the whole team,” noting, “We are trying our best to replenish our supplies to meet the needs of our clients for the festive period.”
Impact of the Theft
Photos taken following the theft reveal racks and refrigerators nearly completely emptied of snail products.
“An entire section of finished products was stolen from the store, and raw material stock from my production area,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne commented.
“It was my end-of-year stock… We had precisely enough to get through the holidays without any worries.”
This producer has in the past provided establishments including award-winning restaurants in the region, as well as specialty food shops and individual customers.
At present, the business is working hard to recovering and making sure that holiday orders can still be met despite the major loss.
