'£600 meal and chef accuses me of stealing spoon'

Tom Aikens is the superchef who apparently overcame his violent temper to be crowned London's hottest gastronomic talent. But it seems old habits die hard.

The 34-year-old chef is today at the centre of an extraordinary row after he accosted a wealthy female diner at his restaurant. She claims he accused her of stealing his cutlery.

Businesswoman Sarah Roe, 32, of Chiswick, had enjoyed a £600 meal at the Fulham restaurant with her husband and two blue-chip clients. But, as the group rose to leave after paying, Aikens allegedly emerged furiously from the kitchen and barred their exit - accusing Ms Roe of stealing a silver coffee spoon.

"I was absolutely appalled and horrified," Ms Roe said. "We had just enjoyed a stunning meal and paid the bill and then as we went to leave, Tom Aikens stormed out of the kitchen and put his hand across the door, right in front of my face. He then announced in front of all the other diners 'A silver spoon is missing from your table - what do you know about this?'."

Ms Roe, a £150,000-a-year director of an international recruitment company, added: "My first reaction was just to laugh and say 'are you being serious?'. He just said, 'I am deadly serious'. So I asked him, sarcastically, if he wanted to frisk me - I was just so horrified and embarrassed.

"I'm standing there with my Celine dress and Cartier bag and a receipt for more than £600 in my hand, and he's accusing me of stealing a coffee spoon. It was unbelievable. I asked him 'do I look like the sort of person who would steal a spoon?'."

A waiter searched for the spoon, which was promptly discovered on a neighbouring table. Aikens, however, refused to apologise.

Ms Roe said: "Even then he just said 'Well, we have had a lot of problems with stealing here'. And then he had the front to add: 'The couple on the table next to you didn't even have coffee - so that's a strange coincidence.' It was as if he was accusing us of planting it. Just unbelievable.

"We go out to eat around four times a week, and always at the top restaurants because we entertain a lot - we've never had such a thing happen. It was such a shame, because it was a wonderful meal. And the cutlery was top-class. But I would never set foot in there again." Once home, Ms Roe's husband and co-director Rupert Adcock rang the restaurant and demanded to speak to Aikens.

Ms Roe said: "[Rupert] rang three times, he was so furious. The first time was to rant and rave, and the second time was to demand the service charge be taken off our bill - and that Aikens tell his staff it was because of his own foul manners, and not theirs, because the service was impeccable.

"The third time was to demand he write a letter of apology to our client. He must have realised his behaviour was absolutely out of order because he came to the telephone and took our client's address. But he wouldn't apologise outright, all he said was that there had been an 'error' and that there had been a lot of problems with stealing."

Aikens was sacked from top London restaurant Pied à "erre four years ago when he was accused of branding a trainee with a knife. He now has his own eponymously named Fulham restaurant and has won two Michelin stars. Last month he won the coveted Restaurateurs' Restaurant Of The Year award for the second year running.

Aikens said: "It's a very silly thing that has happened. Obviously there has been some confusion arising, I guess. As a restaurant we are open to the public and this place is like my home, so regardless of whether people are coming in, sticking their feet on chairs or taking things, it's something I feel quite passionately about."

Although he refused to comment on the specific incident, he added: "I know what the facts of the events are. I think I was very polite. I didn't say they stole it, I just asked them the question. They had a very good meal, they were very well looked after."