Chef and entrepreneur Tommy Banks has experienced a difficult start to December. On Monday, Tommy took to his Instagram to share that chef Matthew Lockwood had gone to pick up a van that was stolen from Made Into Oldstead. Tommy revealed they filled the van with 2500 Christmas pies (worth $30k) from the Tommy's Pies Shop and left it overnight.
In an unexpected twist, the van, which was meant to drop off the pies at York Christmas Market on Monday morning, went missing. The North Yorkshire police later reported to have found the refrigerated van abandoned with falsified number plates in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough.
In a statement to the BBC, Tommy revealed that the van was "badly damaged" and the pies certainly "written off." He added that the culprit was trying to steal the van and that the pies were "collateral."
When Chef Tommy shared updates of the incident on his Instagram account, social media users expressed their disappointment in the comment section.
One user (@o.heppell) expressed their frustration and stated,
"😢what is wrong with people!!!!"
Netizens expressed their shock and one user also requested that the picture of the van should be online. The user (@houseoftides) wrote,
Netizens shared kind words and empathetic messages for the chef after Tommy expressed his sadness about the food wastage. One user (@toothmvr) noted,
"What an absolutely horrible thing to experience! All that work…thank you for asking them to donate the pies..they won’t because they are the lowest of the low..but you asked nicely."
Many users shared suggestions with Tommy and expressed sympathy for the effort he and his team put into making the pies. Another user (@tvchefwannabe) added,
"So sorry to hear this Tommy, Christmas certainly is a time when theft is rife 😡. Can you check your security cameras and hand over to the police for perhaps known recognition? Hope you get everything back!"
Chef Tommy Banks shares update on $30k worth of Christmas pies being stolen
Chef Tommy Banks shared a final update on Tuesday evening through a video on his Instagram. He revealed that both the van and pies had been badly damaged. Tommy thanked his well-wishers and expressed gratitude towards his team who is working on restocking the pies.
Netizens poured in supportive messages in the comments section. One user (@daz_fountain) offered a suggestion and said,
"How about a go fund me page for a food charity of your choice? I for one, as a big fan would donate. That way although van and pies are gone, a food charity would still benefit."
Users also appreciated Tommy Banks's calm demeanor and his team's effort to restock the pies for the festive season. One user (@carybrown1966) commented,
"Gutted for you. Lowlifes hope they are caught. Tremendous effort from you and your staff to get stock replenished. Again your calmness and integrity is something lots could learn from chef."
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Chef Tommy Banks' unfortunate news about the threat left netizens shocked and confused. Users condemned the thieves and appreciated Tommy's calm demeanor in navigating through the crisis.
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