The owner and chef of Relentless Steak and Lobster House said £5,000 worth of meat, including Tomahawk steaks and fillets, was stolen between Thursday and Friday night
A high-end steak restaurant has been raided of £5,000 worth of luxury meat, sparking a major police investigation which had led to a woman being arrested.
The owner and chef of Relentless Steak and Lobster House took to social media in a desperate attempt to recover the Tomahawk steaks and fillets that were stolen overnight between 11pm on Thursday and 5am on Friday. Owner Scott Matthews said the luxury meat has a unique batch code and can’t be bought anywhere, as the restaurant in the Port Solent area of Portsmouth, Hampshire, purchases it directly from farmers.
Asking for the public’s help on the restaurant’s Facebook page, Mr Matthews said the meat’s traceability tag ends in 670. He explained that the meat was meant to be used for weekend and Christmas parties that are due to start later this week.
In a follow-up post, the restaurant said it would continue trading as it vowed not to let “sc****gs kill the brand.” It added: “Big massive thank you to our suppliers for quickly responding to emergency and suppling the unit so quickly with meat to keep us trading.”
Many people shared their support for the restaurant while encouraging them to keep going. One wrote: “Best wishes to you guys. I’m gonna drop by for a Sunday roast to support.” Another person said: “I would check with your supplier to see who else has been hit. They must have had inside information to know you had that much stock.”
Someone else added: “Shared! Vile, everyone’s trying to get by including business! People are just arrogant. I hope there found and action is taken to lenient on theft.” One more commented: “Oh my goodness how terrible!!! What on earth is happening in this country !! I’m so sorry you have had this happen to you xx.”
Following the restaurant’s appeal, Hampshire Police arrested a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of burglary. She has been since released under investigation, the police force said. However, the restaurant said no meat has been recovered yet – and urged people to keep an eye out for their filled trace tags, adding that the Tomahawk steaks are marked as “ABP WOLOWINA”.
But despite receiving the support of many customers, Mr Matthews said there were also some “hurtful comments” online after someone wrongly claimed the theft could be an “inside job” as they claimed nobody else would know that the restaurant had so much meat in stock. But the restaurant’s owner hit back at the claims and said he has “deep trust” in all his staff.
He said in a statement released on Sunday morning: “I have deep trust in all my staff, with whom I work closely every day. After nearly 17 years in business, we’ve built a strong brand and a loyal customer base, serving hundreds of guests each week – more during the busy summer months. Our popular Christmas menu, featuring fillet, attracts over a thousand guests in November alone, requiring us to maintain significant stock levels. Just to keep our lobster tanks full costs around £3,000 for the comments of why holding so much stock so kind of puts in context of stock needed.
“I take pride in using only high-quality meat sourced directly from farms that we have selected. Our Tomahawk steaks are awarded the world best by ABP, ensuring you enjoy an exceptional dining experience. It’s disheartening for an independent business like ours to face such challenges, especially in these uncertain times.
“Like everyone else, we’re awaiting next week’s budget to chart our course forward. However, I prioritize my staff and customers above all else, and I believe we will overcome this with the unwavering support of our loyal guests and the local community.”
A police spokesperson said: “We are investigating a report of frozen meat being stolen sometime between 11pm on Thursday 24 October and 5am the following morning As part of our enquiries, we have arrested a 44-year-old woman from Portsmouth on suspicion of burglary.
“She has been released under investigation while our enquiries continue.” Anyone with information can call Relentless on 023 9232 4812 or call police on 101 with reference 22410251054.
