French farm's Sh13.4 million worth of snails stolen

Thieves have stolen €90,000 (Sh13,468,000) worth of snails from a farm in northern France that supplies gourmet restaurants.

L'Escargot Des Grands Crus in Bouzy, near Reims, said it had been robbed of its entire stock of fresh and frozen snails - a "real blow" ahead of the holiday season.

The thieves broke into the farm overnight into Monday, cutting a border fence before breaking into farm buildings, but a complaint was only filed with police later in the week, news site Franceinfo reported.

Officers are now on the trail, while the farm is trying to restock to meet the end-of-year demand from customers.

Edible snails - or escargot - are a French delicacy, usually cooked in garlic butter or wine before being extracted from their shell.

Producers in France see a rise in sales around December, as people shell out to have the treat during Christmas and New Year's Day celebrations.

"This is definitely not the kind of post we thought we'd write as the holidays approach," L'Escargot Des Grands Crus wrote in a statement announcing the theft on Thursday.

It went on to describe the incident as "a shock, an incomprehension, and a real blow to the entire team", adding: "We are trying our best to replenish our stocks to satisfy you for the holidays."

The farm has supplied restaurants including the Michelin-starred Les Crayères in Reims, as well as delicatessens and private clients, Franceinfo reports.

Photos of the farm following the theft show shelves and fridges nearly completely cleared of snail products.

"A whole section of finished products was stolen from the store, and raw material stock from my laboratory," Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne, the farm's manager, told the news site.

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