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Thieves made off with snails valued at ninety thousand euros from a farm in northern France that supplies gourmet eateries.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in Bouzy, close to the city of Reims, stated that its entire stock of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “real blow” just ahead of the festive period.

The thieves broke into the property during the night leading to Monday, cutting a perimeter fence before entering farm buildings.

Police were notified later in the week, and investigators are now on the trail.

In the meantime, the business is working to restock to meet end-of-year orders from clients.

Escargot: A French Gourmet Treat

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

Farmers in France typically experience a increase in sales around the month of December, as people indulge with the specialty for Christmas and New Year's Day festivities.

“This is definitely not the type of post we thought we’d write as the holidays approach,” the farm stated in a statement announcing the incident.

The statement went on to describe the event as “a shock, bewildering, and a real blow to the whole staff,” noting, “We are trying our best to replenish our inventory to satisfy our clients for the festive period.”

Impact of the Robbery

Photos taken following the burglary show shelves and refrigerators almost cleared out of snail products.

“A whole section of finished products was stolen from the warehouse, and unprocessed stock from my laboratory,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne commented.

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

This producer has previously supplied establishments including award-winning restaurants in the region, as well as specialty food shops and individual customers.

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