Jingle shells! Snails slowly making it onto our Christmas menus

THEY may have been slow to catch on – but gourmet snails are becoming a popular Christmas starter, according to an Irish firm farming the critters.

While prawn cocktails or melon might be on most family hors d’oeuvres this year, snails are a healthy alternative and you don’t have to shell out, says Gaelic Escargot owner Eva Milka, explaining their new-found appeal.

The Polish native, who established Ireland’s first snail farm, said her business is now struggling to meet Christmas demand, both here and abroad.

As well as marketing snail meat as a low-fat delicacy during a season of gorging on treats, Ms Milka added: ‘What we are trying to do is educate the public that escargot snails are not difficult to source, are great for festive dinners and not expensive to buy, and they are very easy to work with.’

She said several high-profile restaurants order her business’s snails but that they are also available in delicatessens and gourmet shops. The company’s current range includes jarred escargot in brine, with a bag (de-shelled or shelled) ranging in price from €5.99 to €37.99.

Ms Milka said: ‘It was tough in the beginning to sell escargots in Ireland but we are now noticing more and more interest from hotels and restaurants nationwide, especially before Christmas. We are so proud to see our escargot being recognised and appreciated by some of the best restaurants and hotels in Ireland: Heron & Grey, The Legal Eagle, Cliff House Hotel, to name but a few.

‘But we are now selling to quite a lot of restaurants and hotels nationwide throughout the year and in the run-up to Christmas which is great.

‘People want alternatives to the regular foods on offer.’

She started rearing snails in plastic containers in a one-bedroom apartment in Kilkenny as a hobby. But this led to the development of Gaelic Escargot, Ireland’s first snail farm and the only research and development centre for the production of escargots.

Based in Garryhill, Co. Carlow, Ms Milka has been researching and farming snails since 2013 following a holiday in France, where escargots are very popular.

Gaelic Escargot now teaches farmers how to use their land to farm snails. Her company then offers to buy back the snails the farmers produce, ensuring her a plentiful supply to meet demand.

‘They are great for festive dinners’