Chef asks thieves to donate stolen pies to hungry
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A British chef has made a heartfelt plea to thieves who made off with thousands of gourmet pies, requesting they donate the stolen goods to those in need rather than let them go to waste.
The incident occurred when criminals targeted a van containing 2,500 pies worth £25,000 ($32,000), belonging to Tommy Banks, owner of multiple Michelin-starred establishments in Yorkshire. The stolen goods included an assortment of steak and ale, turkey, and butternut squash pies destined for a York Christmas market.
🚨🚨🚨🚨 Thieves! Keep your eyes on the Pies!! Help is find the pies. Lets try and recover them and feed some people 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/1dDnxgKZRy
— Tommy Banks (@TommyBanks8) December 2, 2024
Banks took to Instagram to address the thieves directly, acknowledging their criminal act while appealing to their holiday spirit. “I know you´re a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it´s Christmas and maybe we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you´ve stolen. Do the right thing,” he said.
While the vehicle was insured, Banks emphasized his main concern was preventing the food from being wasted, suggesting the thieves could leave the pies at a community center.
🥧 Great pie theft ends with 2,500 recovered but all too damaged to eat https://t.co/wJ4hF8Z6tO
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 3, 2024
This theft follows another notable food-related crime that shocked Britain’s culinary community. In October, a sophisticated scam resulted in the disappearance of nearly 1,000 wheels of premium cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy in London. The cheese, valued at £300,000 ($390,000), was taken by someone posing as a representative of a major French retail chain.
Despite efforts from law enforcement and a public appeal from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the missing cheese remains unrecovered. Although authorities questioned a 63-year-old suspect, no charges have been filed in the case.
