Friday 8 May 2009

READY, STEADY, ESCARGOT: Café Rouge marks National Escargot Day with a Blackheath snail hunt

Limited-edition “snail menu” available from Café Rouge in Blackheath


Café Rouge will be marking this year’s National Escargot Day with a snail-themed treasure hunt in Blackheath on Saturday 23 May.

The restaurant is paying homage to the humble snail by teaming up with Eurostar, Bonne Maman and other partners to give away prizes in celebration of France’s famous delicacy.


As Café Rouge celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, restaurant staff at Café Rogue Blackheath are celebrating on a big scale by hiding a total of 20 oversized cut-out snails around the city which can be redeemed for special prizes including:


Return tickets to Paris with Eurostar - the high-speed rail service between London and Continental Europe (
www.eurostar.com).
A shopping bag containing biscuits, cakes and a ceramic cookie jar from Bonne Maman, the UK's favourite French food brand.
Goodies from Président® Cheese, one of the world's premiere cheesemakers (
www.president.uk.com) Bottles of French wine and champagne Café Rouge vouchers And lots more French-themed prizes!


Each snail will be labelled with instructions on how people can claim their prizes. True to form, they will reside in those damp and dark shaded places rarely looked in – so those moving at a snail’s space could miss out.


The snail hunt will be taking place on Saturday 23 May from 11am in and around Montpelier Vale, Blackheath. Log onto
www.caferouge.co.uk/ned for more details.


Café Rouge’s snail supremo, Caroline Réveillon, said: “Love them or hate them, we are expecting lots of prize-hungry Londoners to come out of their shells for the snail hunt. Snails are served in the finest restaurants France has to offer. We want Brits to take a lead from our friends over the Channel and finally embrace the snail as a tasty treat and give it a try for themselves.”


Last year, Café Rouge sold record numbers of the slippery critters, introducing thousands of people to the mighty mollusc. This May, the restaurant is continuing its trail to transform the nation’s taste buds with a brand new “Escargot Day” menu and is shipping 34,000 snails for the occasion.


Café Rouge’s limited-edition 20th anniversary snail menu will include two new dishes - Terrine d'Escargot aux Lardons - snail and bacon terrine served with rustic brown bread, and Cassolette d'Escargots Jurassienne – casserole of snails, white wine, cream and Paris mushroom.


The restaurant’s signature snail dishes will also feature on the menu – snails cooked in rich garlic butter, snails covered in melted goat’s cheese and a mouth-watering combo of snails served with spinach and mushroom.


Caroline Réveillon said that snails could well be the next super food, “Snails are low in fat and high in magnesium and protein, so they are highly nutritious. They also have a very gentle, buttery texture, which will remind many of lobster or sushi - probably not at all what you might expect!”


The menu is available at Café Rouge Blackheath from 18th - 31st May, with dishes priced from £4.95

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