Comprising only 15 crates with a mere two snails each, this venture has raised eyebrows among council officials, who suspect it’s a ploy to dodge business rates by qualifying under “agricultural use”, BBC reports.

The company behind the operation, Snai1 Primary Products 2023 Ltd, shares its director with a firm specialising in minimising property tax liabilities – BoyceBrook – which brands itself as “Canceller of the Exchequer”.

The director, Terence Ball, has a history with similar schemes, with a previous snail farm tenancy being ruled a “sham” by the High Court in 2021.

Despite claims of legitimate snail farming, industry experts are sceptical about the viability of such a small operation. The limited number of snails raises doubts about the potential for a profitable trade.