Renowned Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks is appealing to thieves who stole his refrigerated van containing 2,500 pies worth £25,000 ($32,000) to donate the stolen goods to those in need. The van was stolen from Barker Business Park in Melmerby, near Ripon, on December 2, and was due to deliver the pies to Banks’s pop-up stall at the York Christmas Market, according to The Washington Post.
In an Instagram video posted on Monday, Banks urged the thieves to “do something nice” by dropping off the pies at a community center. “If you’re the thieves and reading this text, I urge you to leave the pies somewhere. So we can at least give them to people who need food and not let them go to waste,” he said.
The stolen pies included steak and ale, turkey and cranberry, and butternut squash varieties, which were intended to supply his pop-up pie shop for an entire week. “It’s kind of sad because that’s a lot of meat, a lot of flour, a lot of eggs and a lot of work—so much work,” Banks said, according to the Daily Mail.
Banks expressed concern that the thieves might simply discard the pies. “What was really making me sad this morning, I thought suddenly they’re going to realise what’s in the back and ditch the food,” he told the PA news agency, as reported by examinerlive.co.uk.
He emphasized the potential positive impact the pies could have if given to those in need. “I just think that’s 2,500 people we could feed and there’s a lot of people who could do with a hot meal right now. If we can find them, they can have them,” Banks stated, according to NBC News.
Acknowledging the irony of the situation, Banks remarked, “It’s horrible being robbed but what I can’t get my head around is these guys probably stole the van right, but they probably didn’t bargain for nearly a tonne of pies that’s in the back of it,” as reported by The Washington Post.
The chef highlighted the difficulty the thieves would face in selling the pies. “I’m guessing the thieves didn’t realise they were stealing 2,500 pies along with the van! The pies are all in boxes with my name on so not very easy to sell,” he wrote.
He appealed to anyone approached with pies not sold by him to inform the authorities. “If you’re out there and someone offers you some pies and it’s not me, they’re stolen. Tell the police,” Banks said, as reported by The Washington Post.
According to The Independent, North Yorkshire Police have been notified about the theft and are appealing for information from the public.
Despite the setback, Banks and his team have maintained a sense of humor. They are planning to create a chicken pie this week. In a lighthearted moment, he mentioned they were planning to create a “bandit butter chicken pie” in response to the incident, drawing inspiration from the classic holiday movie Home Alone. “It’s all a bit ‘Home Alone’—at Christmas with the pie bandit stealing our pies,” Banks said.
Banks, who received his first Michelin star at the age of 24 and is a veteran judge on BBC’s The Great British Menu, runs three restaurants: The Black Swan at Oldstead, Roots in Marygate in York, and The Abbey Inn, Byland.
He underscored the importance of not wasting food, especially during a time when many people face economic difficulties. “We talk about zero waste and when you’ve got just short of a tonne of food that’s probably been ditched, it would be good if it could find its way to people who need it,” Banks said, as reported by The Independent.
Addressing the thieves directly, Banks expressed his frustration. “Also I think you are a thieving piece of s* and I hope you don’t get any presents this Christmas,” he wrote, according to the Daily Mail.
He noted that his team is more concerned about the loss of the pies than the van itself, as it represented a week’s worth of stock. “My team were much less bothered about the van as they’re bothered about the pies,” Banks said, as reported by examinerlive.co.uk.
Banks concluded his appeal by highlighting the potential for the thieves to make a positive impact despite their actions. “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, according to The Washington Post.
