Over $30k Worth Of Christmas Pies Have Been Stolen From A Michelin-Starred Chef
In northern England, thieves have likely landed themselves on the naughty list after stealing a van full of Christmas pies from pub owner and chef Tommy Banks.
“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.”
When it comes to food-related crimes, it is usually cheese that is stolen, and theft problems have also been a blight on olive oil — but Chef Banks believes that these particular criminals were not even looking to swipe the pies. He speculated in the Instagram video that the thieves were interested in the van itself, and didn't anticipate the large amount of baked goods. While the contents inside are worth a lot of money, Banks pointed out that the items will be difficult to sell secondhand, due to their distinct branding.
At the time of this writing, the pies have yet to be recovered. Banks is trying to get the stolen inventory back by appealing to the thieves' holiday spirit, asking them to drop the pies off at a place in need. "I know you're a criminal," he says, "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."
Tommy Banks is using social media to spread the word about his pies
While losing a van is certainly no joke, it is the stolen pies that are gaining the most attention and concern revolving around this crime. A stint in a car is far from the right way to store pie so it doesn't get soggy, and it could prove difficult for the culprits to rid themselves of a ton of desserts without being noticed — leaving the treats' fate up in the air. In an interview with BBC Radio posted to Instagram, chef Tommy Banks admitted that the potential food waste bothers him the most. "All that food and I'm just worried that these guys who've taken it... will just dump them somewhere," he said. However, he expressed cautious optimism that someone could recover them in time.
On December 3, the chef shared an update to his Instagram story with news that the police may have located the stolen van. It was found with fake license plates attached, but the pies were nowhere to be seen. Invested fans and pie lovers across England and beyond are increasingly worried that the treats may not be recovered before spoiling. At this point, we might have to hope for a Christmas miracle to reunite this Michelin-starred chef with his 2,500 pies.