Issue No. 19

A British snail farmer...
in France
A British expat in northern France set local tongues wagging when he set up a
snail farm, Janine Marsh investigates…
Location, location, location
Mike Collins went to France to study
languages and work for a large company.
Travelling round France, he loved
discovering new places and new tastes and
snails became a favourite, so he decided to
visit a snail farm sure that he’d find the
tastiest escargot there. He was disappointed
when he tried the great classic: snails in
garlic sauce. “No personality” is how he
describes the dish, he knew it could be so
much better.
Already unhappy in his corporate role, that
snail dish inspired Mike to dream of opening
a snail farm of his own and create the
tastiest recipes. He spent a couple of years
researching and studying, working out what
would be the ideal location and finally in
2008 he took the plunge, gave up his job
and started a snail farm in the village of
Râches, Nord, Hauts de France.
Mike’s two big requirements were for a large
garden which needed to be marshy. As
soon as he saw what is now his house, with
its big garden near the regional national
Park Scarpe-Escaut he knew it would be
perfect.
It’s a lush, gentle area of wetlands, two
major rivers, forests, picturesque villages
but close to the cities of Lille and Arras. The
house is on a main route “about 22,000 cars
pass by every day which I knew would be
great for trade” says Mike. “Plus this area is
like a cultural melting pot with Brits, Belgians
(we’re close to the border) Spanish, Flemish
and Dutch expats and visitors. People here
are open to innovation in cuisine”.
Setting up at a snail farm
Snails are a much-loved food in France
where more than 30,000 tons are consumed
annually though less than 5% are farmed in
France, most including the famous
“Burgundy snails”, come from eastern
Europe. But, when Mike told the local mayor
to tell him about his business proposal “he
thought I was crazy, but he was courteous
about it” recalls Mike. Undeterred, he told
the Mayor that he would set an ornamental
snail on the roundabout outside the farm
when his farm was successful. Go there
today, and you can’t miss the giant white
2.5m snail statue!