French Farm Reports Robbery of €90K Worth of Snails

Burglars made off with snails worth €90,000 from a farm in northern France that supplies high-end eateries.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in Bouzy, near Reims, stated that its complete inventory of both fresh and frozen snails was taken—a “major setback” just ahead of the holiday season.

The thieves gained entry to the farm overnight into Monday, slicing through a border fence before accessing storage facilities.

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

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

Snails: A Traditional French Gourmet Treat

Edible snails are regarded as a culinary specialty in France, typically cooked in garlic butter or white wine before being extracted from their shell.

Producers in France typically experience a increase in sales during the month of December, as people treat themselves with the specialty for Christmas Eve and New Year’s celebrations.

“This is definitely not the type of post we expected we’d write as the festive season near,” the farm stated in a message announcing the incident.

They continued to describe the robbery as “a shock, bewildering, and a serious setback to the whole team,” noting, “We are doing everything possible to restock our supplies to meet the needs of our clients for the holidays.”

Consequences of the Robbery

Images taken after the theft show racks and freezers nearly cleared out of escargot items.

“A whole section of prepared goods was stolen from the warehouse, and unprocessed inventory from my laboratory,” the farm manager commented.

“It was my holiday season inventory… We had just the right amount to get through the festive season without any concerns.”

This producer has previously supplied establishments such as award-winning restaurants in the region, as well as specialty food shops and private clients.

At present, the farm is focused on recovering and ensuring that holiday demand can still be fulfilled in spite of the significant setback.