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Burglars have stolen escargot worth ninety thousand euros from a producer in northern France that supplies gourmet restaurants.

The snail farm in Bouzy, near the city of Reims, stated that its complete stock of both fresh and frozen snails was stolen—a “major setback” just ahead of the holiday season.

The intruders gained entry to the farm overnight into Monday, cutting a border fence before accessing storage facilities.

Law enforcement received a complaint later in the week, and investigators are currently pursuing leads.

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

Escargot: A Traditional French Gourmet Treat

Escargot are regarded as a French delicacy, usually cooked in garlic butter or white wine before being extracted from their shell.

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

“This is certainly not the type of post we thought we’d share as the festive season near,” the farm wrote in a message regarding the incident.

They went on to characterize the event as “a shock, bewildering, and a serious setback to the whole staff,” adding, “We are trying our best to replenish our inventory to satisfy our clients for the festive period.”

Consequences of the Robbery

Images taken following the theft show shelves and refrigerators nearly completely emptied of snail products.

“A whole section of finished products was stolen from the store, and unprocessed inventory from my production area,” Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne explained.

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

This producer has in the past provided establishments such as award-winning venues in the region, as well as delicatessens and private clients.

Currently, the farm is focused on bouncing back and making sure that holiday orders can still be met in spite of the major loss.