In 2018, three Styrians implemented the idea of a vine snail farm and manufactory in the middle of the thermal and volcanic region of Styria. What sounds daunting to many is actually a regional and high-quality alternative to fish and meat.
Styrian Vine Snail Farm & ManufactureA few years ago, Pamela Mayer-Prutsch opened a snail farm in Auersbach near Feldbach together with Lisa Mayer and Alexander Absenger. "We wanted to do something different from the others and that's how we came up with the French Roman snail," says the creative farmer. In the first season, 70,000 Petit Gris snails were kept in a 2,000-square-meter facility in a manner appropriate to the species and processed under strict specifications to create a new local specialty. "It is important to us that the animals feel comfortable throughout their lives, so we have integrated all kinds of plants and herbs into the enclosure, including those typical of southeastern Styria," explains Mayer-Prutsch. The young team works exclusively with regional high-quality products and attaches great importance to naturalness in the husbandry. The snail breeders have also already won a Vulkanland prize. Snails are very variable in their preparation, for example gratinated in their snail shell with herb butter, but also processed in a pesto or as liver pâté.