Thieves Steal Over $30,000 of Christmas Pies During Delivery Van Heist: 'It's Horrible Being Robbed'

Mar. 15, 2025

A stock image of pies.Photo:Getty

Getty

A Michelin-starred chef is urging thieves to get into the Christmas spirit.British restaurateurTommy Bankstook toInstagramon Monday, Dec. 2, after criminals stole a van full of 2,500 pies worth over $30,000.“We’ve been robbed,” Banks stated, explaining that a truckload of savory pies destined for a holiday market was stolen the night prior. “Nearly a ton ofpieswith my name written all over them is somewhere in the north of England.”Banks, the chef-owner of several restaurants in York, England, noted that “it’s horrible being robbed,” but digressed that the thieves were likely just looking to steal the van and “they probably didn’t bargain for the nearly ton of pies that is in the back of it.”Banks explained that the theft is upsetting for several reasons, none of which is the money: “It’s kind of sad because that’s a lot of meat and a lot of flour and eggs and a lot of work.”The video message was meant to update his followers and hopefully reach the criminals. He said, “They probably will watch this video because they’re driving around with boxes of pies with my name written all over it so they might think ‘Who the hell is this guy who makes these pies?’ ”Banks then spoke directly to the robbers, saying that he knows he won’t get the van or the pies back but that they “can’t do anything with these pies” because they have his name written on them. With that in mind, he pleaded that they drop them off at a community center so “someone who needs them could eat them.”“I know you are a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen. Do the right thing,” he added.On Tuesday, Dec. 3 morning, Banks posted an update on his Instagram Stories stating that local police think they found the missing van. The van has fake license plates on it, but “that’s all the information they could give us at the moment," he shared, adding, “The health of the pies and their whereabouts are still unknown."

A Michelin-starred chef is urging thieves to get into the Christmas spirit.

British restaurateurTommy Bankstook toInstagramon Monday, Dec. 2, after criminals stole a van full of 2,500 pies worth over $30,000.

“We’ve been robbed,” Banks stated, explaining that a truckload of savory pies destined for a holiday market was stolen the night prior. “Nearly a ton ofpieswith my name written all over them is somewhere in the north of England.”

Banks, the chef-owner of several restaurants in York, England, noted that “it’s horrible being robbed,” but digressed that the thieves were likely just looking to steal the van and “they probably didn’t bargain for the nearly ton of pies that is in the back of it.”

Banks explained that the theft is upsetting for several reasons, none of which is the money: “It’s kind of sad because that’s a lot of meat and a lot of flour and eggs and a lot of work.”

The video message was meant to update his followers and hopefully reach the criminals. He said, “They probably will watch this video because they’re driving around with boxes of pies with my name written all over it so they might think ‘Who the hell is this guy who makes these pies?’ ”

Banks then spoke directly to the robbers, saying that he knows he won’t get the van or the pies back but that they “can’t do anything with these pies” because they have his name written on them. With that in mind, he pleaded that they drop them off at a community center so “someone who needs them could eat them.”

“I know you are a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen. Do the right thing,” he added.

On Tuesday, Dec. 3 morning, Banks posted an update on his Instagram Stories stating that local police think they found the missing van. The van has fake license plates on it, but “that’s all the information they could give us at the moment," he shared, adding, “The health of the pies and their whereabouts are still unknown."

source: people.com