French Farm Reports Theft of €90K Value of Escargot
Burglars have stolen snails worth €90,000 from a farm in northern France that supplies gourmet restaurants.
The snail farm in Bouzy, near the city of Reims, stated that its entire inventory of fresh and frozen snails was taken—a “major setback” just before the holiday season.
The thieves broke into the property during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a perimeter fence before accessing storage facilities.
Police received a complaint days after the incident, and officers are currently pursuing leads.
In the meantime, the farm is working to restock to meet holiday demand from customers.
Snails: A Traditional French Gourmet Treat
Escargot are regarded as a culinary specialty in France, usually cooked in butter with garlic or wine before being extracted from their shell.
Farmers in France typically experience a surge in demand around the month of December, as people treat themselves with the dish for Christmas Eve and New Year's Day celebrations.
“This is certainly not the kind of post we expected we’d share as the festive season approach,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a message regarding the theft.
The statement went on to characterize the robbery as “a shock, bewildering, and a real blow to the entire team,” adding, “We are doing everything possible to replenish our supplies to meet the needs of our customers for the festive period.”
Impact of the Robbery
Images taken following the burglary show racks and refrigerators almost completely emptied of escargot items.
“An entire section of finished products was stolen from the store, and raw material stock from my laboratory,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne commented.
“It was my end-of-year stock… We had precisely enough to get through the holidays without any worries.”
The farm has previously supplied restaurants such as award-winning restaurants in Reims, as well as specialty food shops and private clients.
At present, the business is focused on recovering and making sure that holiday demand can still be fulfilled in spite of the significant setback.