SNAIL FARM

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Snail Farm Mini BOP MBP111 · November 2013

Introduction Commercial snail farms breed and harvest snails and their eggs, typically for human consumption. The process is known as heliciculture, and is often undertaken as a farm diversification activity. Snail farms usually supply their produce on a wholesale basis to commercial customers including restaurants, hotels, caterers, delicatessens and speciality food retailers. Some snail farms also trade online, selling produce in smaller quantities to individual consumers. Many also provide heliciculture training, supply mini snail farms and provide educational talks for schools. Cooked snails are usually referred to as escargot. Helix aspersa (garden snails) and helix pomatia (Roman snails) are the most commonly eaten species. Snails require an environment that is kept at a constant temperature and humidity, and planted with a snail-edible crop, such as sunflowers or plantain. They begin to mate during spring and continue until autumn if kept in suitable conditions. Each snail can mate several times during the season, laying up to 100 eggs each time. Snails are harvested at around 16 weeks old. At least 850 square metres is needed to breed around 50,000 snails.

Trading issues

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According to The Times, in October 2013 there were four commercial snail farms operating in the UK, and these farms were struggling to cope with an increasing demand for molluscs (a group of invertebrates that includes snails, squid, oysters and scallops). During the same month Aylesbury Escargots, which produces commercially farmed snails announced that they had increased their production capacity three-fold in order to meet demand for their produce, which includes snail caviar (snails eggs) priced at £90 per 75 grams (www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2450954/Aylesbury-Escargot-Snail-farms-rise-Britainsnail-meat-eggs-latest-food-trend.html). In June 2012, snail poachers in Surrey were selling fresh Roman snails to local French restaurants for up to £1 per snail (http://travel.aol.co.uk/2012/06/27/poachers-stealingthousands-of-british-snails-to-sell-in-french-restaurants). In comparison, canned snails imported from France can be purchased from specialist delicatessens and food shops such as Sous Chef for around £13 for 96 snails (www.souschef.co.uk/extra-large-snails.html). Although the French consume around 30,000 tonnes of snails each year, only around 5% are produced by the country's 300 snail farms. The majority of snails eaten in France are supplied by Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, which produce cheaper and fatter varieties (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/02/france-snailsidUKL5N0F713420130702). In late 2013, Irish snail farm Gaelic Escargot started exporting snails to France via a Polish supplier, and Aylesbury Escargot expects to be exporting 60% of its produce to France by 2014.

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In recent years, toiletries manufacturers have started to use snail slime as an ingredient of face and body cream, claiming it has anti-ageing and healing properties. Sales of Dr Organic's Snail Gel face cream, which is sold by Holland and Barrett for around £20 per 50 millilitres, rose by around 189% from June 2013 to July 2013 (www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ article-2424702/Snail-slime-face-cream-used-Katie-Holmes-sales-TRIPLE-just-months.html). Restaurants are key customers for snail farmers. According to a 2012 report by Key Note, the restaurant market (including quick service restaurants, pub restaurants and casual dining restaurants) is expected to experience continued steady growth of over 8% between 2012 and 2016, to reach a market value of over £29 billion (www.keynote.co.uk/marketintelligence/view/product/10589). Escargot and snail caviar are premium products, often served in fine dining establishments such as Michelin Star restaurants. The number of Michelin Stars awarded to British and Irish restaurants hit a record high of 150 in 2012. London remains a hot spot for fine dining, with over 50 Michelin Star restaurants, including Club Gascon and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Go to www.fine-dining-guide.com/michelin-star-restaurant-map-gb-2013-2 to locate each Michelin Star restaurant according to its star number. High-end food retailers and delicatessens are also key customers for snail farmers. A survey of delicatessens, food hall operators and farm shops, carried out in 2011 for the Guild of Fine Food (GFF) and Speciality & Fine Food Fair, found that more than half of respondents had expected to see their turnover rise in the year to June 2012. According to the same survey, delicatessens have been facing increasing competition from supermarkets that stock luxury and hard-to-source ingredients, as well as local produce. Asda has reported rising sales of local produce, reaching £1 billion in 2011, while Waitrose and Morrisons both launched chains of smaller outlets stocking local, luxury and organic foods in 2011. However, snails are not widely available to purchase in supermarkets. Any food business such as a snail farm handling, preparing or processing products of animal origin (POAO) (including snail meat and eggs) that they sell for consumption must register as a food business and have all their premises approved by the environmental health department of their local authority. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has more information on premises approval at www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/sectorrules. An application form for 'approval as a food business establishment' can be downloaded from www.food.gov.uk/ multimedia/worddocs/approvalformeng.doc. Anyone who works at a snail farm who is involved in the preparation and handling of snails that are to be supplied to restaurants as food, must be able to demonstrate appropriate food hygiene knowledge. Although a formal qualification is not mandatory, obtaining a certificate in food hygiene is a good way of demonstrating this knowledge. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) provides a range of food safety and hygiene courses. Go to www.cieh.org/training/food_safety.html for details. Under the General Food Regulations, snail farmers must adhere to strict rules regarding the safety, presentation, labelling, traceability and withdrawal and recall of food products. Farmers must keep traceability records of their suppliers and trade customers including the address, the nature and quantity of the order and the date of delivery of the supply. Guidance on food safety, traceability, product withdrawal and recall is available at www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fsa1782002guidance.pdf.

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Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985) it is an offence to kill, injure, take, possess or control Roman snails living in the wild. It is also an offence to damage or destroy wild Roman snails' place of shelter, disturb Roman snails while they are occupying places of shelter, sell, possess or transport wild Roman snails for sale, or advertise wild Roman snails for sale or purchase. Go to www.naturalengland.org.uk/ Images/uksiem20080431en_tcm6-4428.pdf for more information. Snail farms intending to supply to supermarkets can obtain guidance on meeting the multiples' requirements from Regional Food Groups (RGFs). Local food producers in England should contact the English Food and Drink Alliance (www.tastesoutheast.co.uk/ upload/Alliance.pdf), which is made up of eight English regional food groups. Equivalent initiatives in other regions are Wales the True Taste (www.walesthetruetaste.com), Scotland Food and Drink (www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org) and Invest Northern Ireland's 'Buy NI Food' (www.buynifood.com). Individual supermarkets have their own criteria when selecting food to stock. For more information on the requirements of the following supermarket chains go to:

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Tesco (http://realfood.tesco.com/our-food/local-sourcing/login.html). Asda (www.asdasupplier.com/about-us/local-sourcing). Sainsbury's (www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/supplysomethingnew). Waitrose (www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/inspiration/about_waitrose/ the_waitrose_way/do_you_want_to_supply_waitrose.html).

Snail farmers intending to supply local food retailers can apply to join accreditation schemes such as the Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) scheme, which helps small-scale food producers meet the hygiene and quality expectations of buyers such as caterers, delicatessens, restaurants and farm shops. Approval under the scheme is granted only to those who can demonstrate their compliance with food safety and hygiene legislation. Go to www.salsafood.co.uk for more details. H and RH Escargots run a one-day course on breeding, harvesting and selling edible snails. The course, covering topics such as snail biology, environmental conditions, and harvesting, preparing and cooking snails, costs £300 (excluding VAT). It is also available via distance learning for £275 (excluding VAT). Go to www.snailfarm.org.uk/shop/index.php?cPath=26 and select 'short course for snail smallholders' for details. Commercial snail farmers usually rear their snails in a polytunnel, greenhouse or outdoor pen. Farmers must prevent snails from escaping onto neighbouring land, particularly land used for commercial crops or allotments, as they can cause extensive damage, for which the snail farmer may be liable. Costs vary depending on the set-up. For example, a 30 foot by 90 foot tunnel can be purchased for around £3,500 and a 28 foot by 96 foot glasshouse with 8 millimetre thick sides can be purchased for around £26,000. Suppliers of commercial polytunnels and greenhouses include Haygrove Ltd (www.haygrove.co.uk) and Bridge Greenhouses (www.bridgegreenhouses.co.uk). Humidity must be kept between 75% and 95%, meaning the snails must be kept damp by watering their environment at frequent intervals. Air temperature should be kept between 15°C and 25°C, and ideally at 21°C. The snails must be provided with at least two inches of clean topsoil, which must be moist but not waterlogged, with a neutral PH (around 7) and at least 4% calcium. A snail farmer will have to budget for a range of equipment such

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as a thermometer and hygrometer (from £6 to £30 each for a joint device), PH testing kits (around £5 each), sprinklers (from £10 to £50 each) and PVC Coated Hex Wire (to keep out pests, from £80 for a 1 foot high by 150 foot long roll, to £305 for a 7 foot high by 150 foot long roll). Most equipment can be purchased from specialist horticultural or agricultural suppliers such as Harrod Horticulture (www.harrodhorticultural.com), CMW Horticulture (www.cmwhorticulture.co.uk) and Simply Control (www.simplycontrol.co.uk).

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Live invertebrates such as snails will only be accepted for delivery by Royal Mail if packaged according to certain instructions. The packaging must be sufficient to protect the snails and Royal Mail staff from harm, display the snail farm's name and address and be clearly labelled as 'URGENT - LIVING CREATURES'. First class delivery must be used as a minimum, although most snail farmers sending live animals via Royal Mail use special or recorded delivery. Go to www.royalmail.com/despatch-inward-mail-services/hints-and-tips/restricted-goods for more details. In order to increase the profile of their business and showcase their produce, a snail farmer can host demonstrations and cookery classes for other local food business owners. Some snail farmers also provide preparation instructions and recipes via their websites, and sell ingredients commonly used to cook escargot, such as butter and garlic. For example go to www.melburyandappleton.co.uk/snails-escargot-24-large-snails---200g-7120-p.asp. Further opportunities for promoting a snail farm to chefs, restaurants, caterers and individual consumers include advertising in specialist directories such as:

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The Artisan Food Trail (www.artisanfoodtrail.co.uk), which provides a listing for £180 (excluding VAT) for six months. Gourmet Britain (www.gourmetbritain.com), which provides a free listing. Good Food Pages (www.goodfoodpages.co.uk), which provides a free basic listing, subject to a £10 administration fee. The Speciality Food Magazine Directory (www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/directory/ signup.php) is published both in print and online; listing fees start from £65.

To raise their profile with potential customers such as delicatessens and Michelin starred restaurants, snail farmers can enter their produce into competitions such as the annual Great Taste Award (www.finefoodworld.co.uk), the Quality Food Awards (www.qualityfoodawards.com) and the Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards (www.hifoodanddrinkawards.com).

Sources of further information The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent Government department that provides information about legislation, training requirements and safety and hygiene advice. www.food.gov.uk The FSA also publishes 'Guidance on producing, harvesting and importing terrestrial edible snails for human consumption' which can be downloaded at www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/ snailguidance.pdf. The Guild of Fine Food is a membership association representing suppliers and retailers of speciality and fine foods.

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www.finefoodworld.co.uk 'Speciality Food Magazine' provides news and information on food-related issues and events. www.specialityfoodmagazine.com Slow Summer Snail Farm is an example of a snail farm that sells produce to individual consumers and supplies mini snail farms. www.snailfarm.org.uk  

DISCLAIMER While all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that this information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. Cobweb Information Ltd, Unit 9 Bankside, The Watermark, Gateshead, NE11 9SY. Tel: 0191 461 8000   Website: www.cobwebinfo.com

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