Warning after Michelin-starred London restaurants targeted by thieves

While the woman has a similar appearance to the thief in the Elystan Street footage, it is understood to be too early in the investigation for police to establish a formal link.

Chris Galvin, owner of Galvin La Chapelle, said: “It’s devastating to see this happening in the run-up to Christmas, the busiest and most crucial period for the hospitality industry. The produce taken from us wasn’t everyday groceries - it was high-quality, premium meat, and for Elystan Street it was langoustines! These are items that simply don’t end up in someone’s home kitchen, which raises serious concerns that this theft may be feeding into other restaurants.

“As an industry already under immense pressure, it’s disheartening to face targeted behaviour like this, but we hope shining a light on it helps protect other venues from becoming victims.”

Other restaurants in the capital have reported being targeted by thieves in recent months. Richard Wilkins, who runs 104 Restaurant in Notting Hill, said his business had been hit 20 times in the last four years.

He told Mail Online that packs of butter, soft drinks and langoustines had all been stolen from a storage area in broad daylight.

The annual cost of food crime in the UK is estimated to be between £410m and £1.9b, according to a Food Standards Agency report.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said enquiries were ongoing into both the Elystan Street and Galvin La Chapelle thefts.

Anyone with information about the Elystan Street incident can contact the police on 101 quoting CAD 1601 of 26 November, while anyone with information on the Galvin La Chapelle theft should quote the crime reference number 01/8178460/25.