🔗 Share this article

Thieves made off with escargot worth €90,000 from a producer in northern France that supplies gourmet eateries.

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

The thieves broke into the property overnight into Monday, slicing through a perimeter fence before entering storage facilities.

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

Meanwhile, the farm is working to restock to satisfy end-of-year demand from clients.

Snails: A Traditional French Gourmet Treat

Escargot 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 sales around the month of December, as people indulge with the dish for Christmas Eve and New Year’s celebrations.

“This is definitely not the kind of announcement we expected we’d share as the holidays approach,” the farm stated in a message regarding the incident.

They continued to describe the robbery as “surprising, bewildering, and a real blow to the whole staff,” adding, “We are trying our best to restock our supplies to meet the needs of our clients for the holidays.”

Impact of the Robbery

Photos taken following the burglary show shelves and freezers almost completely emptied of escargot items.

“An entire section of prepared goods was taken from the warehouse, and unprocessed stock from my production area,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne commented.

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

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

At present, the farm is focused on bouncing back and making sure that end-of-year demand can still be met in spite of the significant loss.