First, thieves came for our cheese. Then, they came for … well, more cheese. But now they’re coming for savoury meat pies, and people are done.
A British chef who lost 2,500 pies this week after thieves stole his van says “it’s a real shame” that although police eventually recovered the van, the pies meant for a York Christmas market couldn’t be salvaged.
“It’s just such a waste. It’s just rubbish,” chef Tommy Banks said in an Instagram video posted Tuesday.
“Unfortunately not the news I was hoping to share,” he added in the video description.
Banks, who owns two Michelin-starred restaurants and a pub in the northern English county of Yorkshire, said a staff member discovered the van was missing, along with its cargo of steak and ale, turkey and butternut squash pies intended for a Christmas market in the city of York.
The food has been valued at £25,000, or about $44,700 Cdn.
In an earlier Instagram post, Banks explained that colleagues had loaded up their refrigerated van with stock over the weekend, then left it plugged in. When a colleague went to pick up the van Monday morning, it was gone.
“I am guessing the thieves didn’t realise they were stealing 2,500 pies along with the van,” Banks added.
In a statement posted Tuesday, North Yorkshire Police said they’d received a report on Monday “that a refrigerated vehicle containing valuable food stock including pies” had been stolen over the weekend. The van had actually been recovered — abandoned and now with false plates — by Cleveland Police on Nov. 29.
Cleveland Police stored the vehicle until they could perform a forensic investigation.
“We can now confirm that the van has been returned to its owner and there were still pies inside although we do not have an exact number,” the North Yorkshire Police statement reads.
“We are pleased that the owner has now been reunited with his van, but just as sad as everyone else to hear that the tasty pies in the van have sadly perished,” says the Cleveland Police statement.
Food world still reeling from cheese heists
While this artisanal goods theft may not have been targeted, it comes on the heels of a few very deliberate cheese heists.
In fact, the cheese world is still reeling after a U.K. cheese heist that saw con artists make off with more than £300,000 (or more than $540,000 Cdn) in clothbound, award-winning cheddar. A 63-year-old man was recently arrested and released on bail.
The cheese — 950 wheels of cheddar weighing 22 tonnes, stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy in London — has not been recovered.
And late last month, B.C. RCMP revealed they’d recently foiled an attempted cheese heist at a Whole Foods in North Vancouver. They’d been on patrol Sept. 29 when they found a cart full of cheese outside the grocery store. A suspect fled on foot, leaving $12,800 worth of cheese behind.
“First it was cheese, now pies. I’m beginning to think there’s a gang of #Scotties operating,” wrote someone on X.
Const. Mansoor Sahak recounts the moment North Vancouver RCMP stopped a man from stealing nearly $13,000 worth of cheese from a local Whole Foods.
“Is food theft the latest thing. 22 tonne and £300,000 of cheese few weeks ago and now a van load of pies?” wrote another person.
“Food waste is the worst especially in a cost of living crisis. Hope they catch those responsible,” an Instagram user wrote on Banks’s post.
In his earlier Instagram post, Banks had appealed for the thieves to save the pies, noting they’re in boxes with his name on them so would be difficult to sell.
“So we can at least give them to people who need food and they are not wasted,” he wrote.
“Also I think you are a thieving piece of s–t and I hope you don’t get any presents this Christmas.”
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