$100,000 of escargot stolen from French snail farm in slimy Holiday heist

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A French snail farm that provides snails to high-end restaurants lost over $100,000 worth of product in a theft. This happened at a particularly busy time of year, and the farm is now working hard to replace its lost stock.

L’Escargot Des Grands Crus, a company in northeastern France, reported on Facebook that thieves stole almost all of their snails – both fresh and frozen – during a break-in over the weekend.

This family farm raises about 350,000 snails each year, and most of their income – around 60% – comes during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

According to The Times, thieves broke into storage buildings by cutting through a fence and stole around 450 kilograms of snail meat. The owner, Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne, explained that the thieves found shelves packed with snails – in jars, fresh, and frozen – and some of the stolen product wasn’t even prepared for sale yet.

The farm shared on Facebook that the burglary was shocking and a significant setback, explaining that their entire year’s worth of produce had been stolen. Photos sent to news sources showed their storage areas almost completely empty after the theft.

Snails destined for Michelin restaurants vanished

The farm was getting ready to send escargot (snails) to restaurants across the area for the holidays, even some with Michelin stars. Dauvergne believed his farm’s good reputation probably made it a target for whatever happened.

I was reading about the escargot heist, and apparently the police, specifically Commander Remi Dubois in Epernay, think whoever did it really knew what they were doing – they called them experienced and professional. It’s crazy, but he even said the stolen snails were worth nearly as much as champagne! Can you believe it?

Okay, so Christmas is coming up, and thankfully some other snail farmers are helping me out. Guys from nearby farms are selling off some of their snails at a discount so I can actually fulfill all my holiday orders. It’s a huge relief!

Some restaurant chefs are hesitant to change where they get their snails. One chef even told TF1 he’d rather take escargot off the menu than use snails from a different supplier.

L’Escargot Des Grands Crus is working to restock items as soon as they can while the police investigate the burglary.

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2025-11-29 18:18