A Hunter Valley business owner has been left thousands of dollars out of pocket after a food truck was stolen from a Pokolbin winery.
Entwine Hunter Valley owner Joe Wojarski said the trailer was stolen last week from Stomp Wines on Wilderness Road overnight after being left on site for an event.
Mr Wojarski said his chef discovered the trailer missing at 10am when he arrived to prepare for the day.
“He called me and asked if I’d moved the van,” Mr Wojarski said.
“I said I hadn’t touched it.”
The thieves allegedly forced the trailer away while it was still connected to power, ripping plugs from the wall as they drove off
“They just hooked it up and drove as quickly as they could,” he said.
Security cameras failed to capture the theft.
The business shared an appeal on social media asking people across the Hunter, Newcastle, Sydney and surrounding areas to keep an eye out for the distinctive black food truck.
The trailer features large Entwine Hunter Valley and ‘Native’ logos, making it easily recognisable.
A possible sighting has since been reported, with a member of the public believing they saw the trailer being towed by a 4WD on the Hunter Expressway near the Kurri Kurri exit about 4.15pm on Saturday 11 July.
Mr Wojarski said anyone who was travelling in the area at the time was encouraged to check their dashcam footage and contact police if they had information.
While he hopes the trailer will be found, he believes the thieves may have expected to find expensive equipment inside.
“I think they probably thought it was full of expensive gear, but all the equipment in there was very basic,” he said.
The trailer was purchased less than a year ago and supported Entwine Hunter Valley’s food and wine trail, with five food trailers operating across different wineries.
Its loss has forced the business to suspend the food trail, affecting bookings with local tour operators and reducing income.
“It’s massive,” Mr Wojarski said.
“We’ve had to close that part of the business and obviously we’re down a truck, so we’re down revenue as well.”
Mr Wojarski said the theft had not only affected his business but also the operator who leased the trailer.
“It’s just a pointless act,” he said.
“You’ve ruined the income of more than one small business.” Anyone with information about the stolen trailer or the reported sighting is urged to contact NSW Police.
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