French Snail Farm Announces Robbery of €90K Value of Escargot
Thieves made off with escargot worth €90,000 from a farm in northern France that supplies gourmet restaurants.
L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in the Bouzy area, near the city of Reims, stated that its entire stock of fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “real blow” just before the holiday season.
The intruders gained entry to the property during the night leading to Monday, slicing through a perimeter fence before entering storage facilities.
Law enforcement were notified days after the incident, and investigators are currently pursuing leads.
Meanwhile, the business is striving to replenish its supplies to meet end-of-year orders from clients.
Escargot: A Traditional French Delicacy
Escargot are regarded as a French delicacy, typically prepared in butter with garlic or wine before being extracted from their shell.
Producers in France often see a surge in sales during the month of December, as consumers indulge with the dish for Christmas and New Year's Day celebrations.
“This is certainly not the kind of announcement we thought we’d write as the holidays near,” the farm wrote in a statement announcing the theft.
The statement continued to describe the event as “a shock, an incomprehension, and a serious setback to the whole team,” noting, “We are trying our best to restock our inventory to satisfy our customers for the festive period.”
Consequences of the Robbery
Images captured after the burglary reveal shelves and freezers almost cleared out of escargot items.
“A whole section of prepared goods was taken from the warehouse, and raw material inventory from my laboratory,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne explained.
“This represented my holiday season inventory… We had precisely enough to get through the holidays without any concerns.”
The farm has previously supplied restaurants including Michelin-starred restaurants in the region, as well as specialty food shops and private clients.
Currently, the business is focused on bouncing back and ensuring that end-of-year orders can still be met in spite of the major loss.
