French Farm Announces Theft of €90K Worth of Snails
Thieves made off with snails valued at €90,000 from a farm in northern France that supplies high-end restaurants.
L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in Bouzy, near the city of Reims, stated that its entire inventory of fresh and frozen snails was taken—a “major setback” just ahead of the festive period.
The intruders broke into the farm overnight into Monday, cutting a perimeter fence before entering farm buildings.
Law enforcement received a complaint later in the week, and officers are currently pursuing leads.
Meanwhile, the business is striving to restock to satisfy end-of-year orders from clients.
Escargot: A Traditional French Gourmet Treat
Edible snails are regarded as a French delicacy, usually cooked in garlic butter or wine before being removed from their shells.
Farmers 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 type of announcement we thought we’d write as the festive season approach,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus stated in a message announcing the incident.
The statement went on to characterize the event as “a shock, bewildering, and a serious setback to the entire team,” noting, “We are trying our best to restock our inventory to meet the needs of our customers for the holidays.”
Impact of the Robbery
Images captured following the theft show racks and freezers almost cleared out of snail products.
“A whole section of prepared goods was taken from the store, and unprocessed stock from my laboratory,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne explained.
“This represented my end-of-year stock… We had precisely enough to manage the festive season without any worries.”
This producer has previously supplied restaurants such as award-winning venues in Reims, as well as delicatessens and private clients.
At present, the farm is working hard to bouncing back and ensuring that end-of-year demand can still be met despite the significant loss.
