Oh no. It's not a good week to be TikTok chef, Thomas Straker. As if it wasn't enough that he's just been banned from driving his Porsche 911 after making a phone call at the wheel, now his Rolex has been nicked.
While engaging in some outdoor exercise, an opportunist saw Straker's expensive watch and pocketed it for themselves. Naturally, the chef took to social media to voice his anger. "The first nice thing I ever bought myself after 12 years grinding in the kitchens. Stolen from me whilst I worked out in the park," he wrote.
Straker started his career at The Dorchester after his father introduced him to the executive chef. After that, he held posts at other fancy London restaurants and did some private cheffing abroad before opening his own eponymous restaurant.
"The Rolex explorer one was sentimental and reminded me that hard work does actually pay off," he continued. Watches in the Rolex Explorer collection typically sell for between £4,053 - £11,296 on the private sales market. "Thieveing is f***ing terrible and I'm [angry face emoji]."
The Rollie may be gone, but Straker's hopes of dodging his driving ban are high. His lawyer stated he intends to argue “exceptional hardship” to avoid the ban.
The most common Exceptional Hardship case is where a driving ban will lead to financial hardship, usually due to the loss of employment. Straker is self-employed and owns his restaurant where he is head chef.
"I'm stuck with a fitness watch for now," Straker lamented. As the late great Matthew Perry once said while playing Chandler Bing in sitcom, Friends: "my wallet's too small for my fifties and my diamond shoes are too tight!"
