For most people, snails are associated with French cuisine and slime trails on pavements. But according to the UK’s biggest snail farmer, they’re increasingly being used in film and TV.

“There’s quite a demand from film companies for snails to film so I developed a film package whereby they can hire whatever snails they need for a few days then return them, and I supply them with temporary housing, food and care instructions,” Helen Howard, founder of snail farming business H&RH Escargots told The Independent.

It’s one of a number of ways the UK’s growing interest in snails has manifested itself, and H&RH Escargots is reaping the rewards from this boom.

Howard started the business with her daughter 10 years ago in East Kent, where they’re based.

“My daughter had completed her course at agricultural college but we didn’t have a farm so we looked round for an agricultural activity that didn’t require a lot of land,” Howard explains. “The idea of snail farming popped out of a web search on a site.”

A former biologist, Howard has carved out a niche in a growing sector: H&RH Escargots are the UK’s principal supplier of live edible snails and the only people running courses to help new snail farmers get a foot on the ladder.

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Although not a huge feature of British cuisine, Howard explains that snails are actually “perfectly adapted for the damp mild climate in the UK.”

She and her daughter nurture the snails by feeding them green vegetables and occasional treats like cherries, plums or mangos. After about six months, they’re ready to sell: “You can see they are adult because the edge of the shell turns up like the brim of a hat.”

As well as starring in films, Howard’s snails are increasingly bought as reptile food - they regularly supply the reptile houses at zoos and for conservation projects.

Howard never imagined, however, that so many people would be keen to learn how to farm their own snails - there’s now so much demand that she runs monthly courses.

With sales growing year on year both to restaurants and adventurous cooks, snail consumption appears to be increasing in the UK - two years ago, British snail production was estimated at 750,000, having increased from 30,000 in 2000.

Howard tells those hesitant to try snails that they taste more like mushrooms than anything else. Her favourite way to eat them? On pizza. “I cook them with local cider for an extra special taste,” she says.