Thieves steal £25,000 worth of pies from chef Tommy Banks

Chef Tommy Banks has had 2,500 pies stolen worth £25,000.

The chef director of the Tommy Banks group, which includes the Michelin-starred Black Swan in Oldstead, announced his van – as well as the pies inside it – had been a victim of the robbery.

The team had prepared “nearly a tonne” of pies for York Christmas market the night before and loaded them into a van with the number plate WU67 YGD.

Banks posted on Instagram: “I am 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.”

“If you are the thieves and read this I urge you to the drop the pies off somewhere. So we can at least give them to people who need food and they are not wasted. Also I think you are a thieving piece of shit and I hope you don’t get any presents this Christmas.”

He has urged the thieves to at least “do the right thing and drop [the pies] off at a food bank or community centre”.

The chef launched Tommy’s Pie Shop last month to serve handmade, luxury pies to guests of the York Christmas market, which is taking place between 14 November and 22 December.