In a bizarre turn of events, a van carrying 2500 pies was stolen from a business park in Melmerby, North Yorkshire in the UK, just days before it was meant to deliver the pies to a pop-up stall at the York Christmas Market.

Valued at £25,000 ($48,000 AUD), the van was packed with gourmet pies, including steak and ale, turkey and cranberry, and butternut squash varieties. Chef Tommy Banks, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurants and a pub in the area, was devastated when the theft was discovered on Monday morning.

Tommy made an emotional appeal via Instagram, urging the thieves to “do the right thing” and donate the pies to those in need.

“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,” he said.

He also asked anyone offered the pies to report it to the police. While the stolen stock represented a week’s worth of business for Tommy’s Pie Shop, it was the wasted food that concerned him most.

Fortunately, the police found the van on Tuesday, but it was badly damaged and almost certainly a write-off. Unfortunately, the pies were also ruined as they had been left unrefrigerated.

Tommy described it as a real shame and “just rubbish,” emphasising the immense effort involved in preparing the pies. While the van was insured, the loss of the stock was a blow to his business.

“A van is a van, but the amount of work that goes into making pies is huge,” he said.

“I don’t think the guys who stole the van were necessarily trying to steal pies. I think they were trying to steal a van, and the pies were just collateral.”