A former chef was battling a drug addiction when he stole food in a binbag and sirloin steaks, a court heard. Christopher Brown, 35, of London Road, Nottingham, was previously an agency-employed chef at The Orchard Hotel, set in 330 acres of the University of Nottingham's landscaped parkland, but he was let go.
Due to staff shortages, he was employed as a kitchen porter, and stole from the hotel when he put food items in a binbag and placed the bag near a skip. Nottingham Crown Court heard he was confronted by the executive chef on October 23 last year.
Brown claimed he thought the food was out-of-date and was disposing of the items - but then admitted he was stealing them - leading to his dismissal. But he returned there to speak to the manager on November 2, 2021.
