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Thieves have stolen snails valued at ninety thousand euros from a farm in the north of France that supplies high-end eateries.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in the Bouzy area, near Reims, reported that its entire inventory of both fresh and frozen snails was taken—a “real blow” just before the festive period.

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

Police were notified later in the week, and officers are currently pursuing leads.

In the meantime, the business is striving to restock to meet holiday orders from clients.

Escargot: A French Delicacy

Edible snails are considered a French delicacy, typically cooked in garlic butter or white wine before being extracted from their shells.

Producers in France often see a surge in sales around the month of December, as consumers indulge with the specialty for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

“This is definitely not the kind of announcement we thought we’d share as the holidays near,” L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a statement regarding the theft.

They continued to characterize the event as “surprising, bewildering, and a serious setback to the entire team,” noting, “We are doing everything possible to restock our inventory to meet the needs of our customers for the holidays.”

Consequences of the Theft

Photos taken following the burglary show shelves and refrigerators nearly cleared out of escargot items.

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

“It was my end-of-year stock… We had just the right amount to get through the holidays without any worries.”

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

Currently, the business is working hard to bouncing back and making sure that holiday orders can still be met despite the significant loss.