A Snail Farm Reports Robbery of €90,000 Worth of Escargot
Thieves have stolen escargot worth €90,000 from a farm in northern France that provides for high-end eateries.
The snail farm in Bouzy, near Reims, stated that its entire inventory of fresh and frozen snails was taken—a “major setback” just ahead of the festive period.
The thieves broke into the property during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a border fence before entering farm buildings.
Law enforcement received a complaint later in the week, and officers are now on the trail.
In the meantime, the business is working to restock to meet holiday demand from clients.
Escargot: A French Delicacy
Escargot are regarded as a culinary specialty in France, typically prepared in garlic butter or wine before being removed from their shells.
Producers in France often see a surge in demand during the month of December, as people indulge with the dish for Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
“This is definitely not the kind of announcement we expected we’d share as the festive season approach,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus stated in a message regarding the incident.
They went on to describe the event as “surprising, bewildering, and a real blow to the entire team,” adding, “We are doing everything possible to restock our inventory to meet the needs of our clients for the holidays.”
Impact of the Robbery
Images captured after the theft show racks and refrigerators almost cleared out of snail products.
“An entire section of prepared goods was stolen from the store, and raw material stock from my production area,” the farm manager explained.
“It was my holiday season inventory… We had just the right amount to manage the holidays without any worries.”
The farm has in the past provided establishments such as award-winning restaurants in the region, as well as specialty food shops and private clients.
Currently, the business is focused on bouncing back and making sure that end-of-year demand can still be met in spite of the significant loss.
