French Farm Reports Theft of €90,000 Value of Escargot

Thieves have stolen escargot worth ninety thousand euros from a producer in the north of France that provides for high-end restaurants.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in the Bouzy area, close to Reims, stated that its entire stock of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “major setback” just before the holiday season.

The intruders broke into the farm during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a border fence before accessing storage facilities.

Police received a complaint days after the incident, and officers are now on the trail.

In the meantime, the business is striving to replenish its supplies to satisfy holiday demand from clients.

Snails: A French Delicacy

Edible snails are considered a French delicacy, usually prepared in butter with garlic or white wine before being removed from their shells.

Farmers in France often see a increase in demand during December, as people indulge with the specialty for Christmas and New Year's Day celebrations.

“This is certainly not the kind of post we expected we’d share as the holidays approach,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus stated in a statement announcing the theft.

They went on to describe the event as “surprising, an incomprehension, 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 festive period.”

Impact of the Robbery

Images taken after the burglary show shelves and freezers almost completely emptied of escargot items.

“An entire section of prepared goods was taken from the store, and raw material inventory from my production area,” the farm manager explained.

“This represented my holiday season inventory… We had precisely enough to get through the holidays without any worries.”

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

At present, the farm is focused on recovering and ensuring that end-of-year orders can still be met in spite of the major loss.