A Snail Farm Announces Theft of €90K Value of Snails

Burglars have stolen escargot valued at ninety thousand euros from a producer in northern France that provides for gourmet restaurants.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in the Bouzy area, close to the city of Reims, stated that its entire inventory of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “real blow” just ahead of the festive period.

The thieves gained entry to the property during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a perimeter fence before entering farm buildings.

Law enforcement received a complaint days after the incident, and investigators are currently pursuing leads.

In the meantime, the farm is striving to restock to satisfy end-of-year demand from customers.

Escargot: A French Delicacy

Escargot are considered a culinary specialty in France, usually prepared in butter with garlic or wine before being extracted from their shell.

Producers in France often see a increase in demand around December, as consumers treat themselves with the dish for Christmas Eve and New Year’s celebrations.

“This is certainly not the type of announcement we expected we’d share as the festive season near,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a statement regarding the incident.

The statement continued to characterize the event as “a shock, bewildering, and a real blow to the whole staff,” noting, “We are trying our best to replenish our inventory to meet the needs of our clients for the festive period.”

Impact of the Theft

Images captured after the theft reveal shelves and refrigerators nearly cleared out of escargot items.

“An entire section of prepared goods was taken from the warehouse, and unprocessed inventory from my laboratory,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne explained.

“This represented my end-of-year stock… We had just the right amount to manage the holidays without any worries.”

The farm has in the past provided restaurants including award-winning restaurants in Reims, as well as specialty food shops and individual customers.

At present, the farm is focused on recovering and making sure that holiday orders can still be fulfilled despite the significant setback.