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Thieves have stolen escargot valued at €90,000 from a farm in northern France that supplies high-end restaurants.

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

The thieves broke into the farm during the night leading to Monday, cutting a border fence before accessing storage facilities.

Police received a complaint days after the incident, and officers are now on the trail.

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

Snails: A Traditional French Delicacy

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

Producers in France typically experience a increase in sales during the month of December, as people indulge with the specialty for Christmas and New Year’s festivities.

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

The statement went on to describe the robbery as “a shock, an incomprehension, and a real blow to the entire staff,” noting, “We are trying our best to restock our inventory to meet the needs of our clients for the holidays.”

Consequences of the Theft

Images taken after the burglary show racks and freezers almost completely emptied of snail products.

“An entire section of finished products was stolen from the store, and unprocessed inventory from my laboratory,” the farm manager commented.

“This represented my end-of-year stock… We had precisely enough to manage the holidays without any concerns.”

The farm has in the past provided establishments including Michelin-starred restaurants in Reims, as well as specialty food shops and private clients.

Currently, the farm is working hard to bouncing back and making sure that end-of-year demand can still be fulfilled despite the significant loss.