A Farm Announces Robbery of €90K Value of Snails
Thieves have stolen escargot valued at €90,000 from a producer in northern France that supplies gourmet restaurants.
The snail farm in the Bouzy area, near the city of Reims, reported that its entire inventory of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “major setback” just ahead of the festive period.
The intruders gained entry to the farm during the night leading to Monday, cutting a perimeter fence before accessing storage facilities.
Law enforcement were notified later in the week, and investigators are currently pursuing leads.
Meanwhile, the farm is working to restock to satisfy end-of-year orders from clients.
Snails: A French Delicacy
Edible snails are regarded as a culinary specialty in France, typically prepared in butter with garlic or white wine before being removed from their shell.
Producers in France often see a surge in sales during the month of December, as consumers treat themselves with the specialty for Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
“This is certainly not the type of announcement we expected we’d write as the holidays near,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a statement announcing the incident.
The statement went on to characterize the robbery as “surprising, bewildering, and a serious setback to the whole team,” noting, “We are doing everything possible to replenish our supplies to satisfy our clients for the festive period.”
Consequences of the Theft
Images captured following the theft show racks and freezers nearly cleared out of escargot items.
“A whole section of prepared goods was stolen from the warehouse, and raw material stock from my laboratory,” the farm manager explained.
“This represented my end-of-year stock… We had precisely enough to get through the festive season without any worries.”
The farm has in the past provided restaurants such as award-winning venues in the region, as well as specialty food shops and individual customers.
Currently, the farm is working hard to recovering and making sure that end-of-year demand can still be met in spite of the significant setback.
