DN1 Delicatessen and Dining Room, Doncaster: Owners of Yorkshire fine dining restaurant heartbroken after thieves break in and steal rare champagne and wine justs days after Giles Coren from The Times visited to review a meal

DN1 Delicatessen and Dining Room in Doncaster staff had only just welcomed The Times restaurant critic Giles Coren to review their food before the premises on High Fishergate were burgled on Sunday night.

Thieves put a brick through the window and took wine, champagne, spirits, luxury chocolates and Christmas goods. Money was also removed from a till.

However, DN1 was forced to close for the day because broken glass had contaminated food display areas, including the cheese counter in the delicatessen.

The haul included Cristal champagne and speciality wines, among them a unique torpedo-shaped bottle of £100 cava which owner Martyn Pippard described as ‘the only one in Doncaster. If someone has it, it’s ours’.

South Yorkshire Police are investigating the incident and have recovered fingerprints from the scene. Mr Pippard and partner Sarah Wilson have appealed for anyone offered the alcohol for sale to contact them with information.

The force said in a statement: “We were called at 7.42am yesterday morning (Monday 27 November) to reports of a burglary at a premise on High Fishergate, Doncaster. It is believed that access was gained through a window and offenders are alleged to have taken alcohol and confectionery.

"Officers have exhausted all lines of enquiry to find those responsible and the investigation has now been closed, pending further evidence becoming available. If you have any information, please contact 101.”

The couple invited Coren as part of a campaign to gain national recognition for DN1, which serves Doncaster’s only tasting menu. They have aspirations to win a Michelin star and inclusion in top food guides. As well as a traditional delicatessen, the site includes a 22-cover chef’s table-style dining area.

Mr Pippard and Ms Wilson took over the premises, formerly an international foods store called Scicluna’s, around 18 months ago and have completed a major refurbishment since. They stock luxury items, 130 varieties of cheese and have welcomed diners from as far afield as Harrogate, Sheffield and Wetherby. The couple are also hoping to attract Jay Rayner, the Guardian food writer who visited Doncaster in 2018 to review seafood bar Clam & Cork, which has since closed.