Serial thief who stole langoustines and luxury flowers in Chelsea fined £350

A woman who nicked hundreds of pounds worth of shellfish from outside a high-end London restaurant has been fined just £350.

Ekaterina Frolova, 46, was sentenced last month in connection with a theft at exclusive Elystan Street in Chelsea.

A manhunt was launched last November after CCTV footage emerged of a delivery being taken from outside the Michelin-starred Elystan Street in Chelsea.

The mini-lobster-like seafood had been intended for a bisque with chilli, spring onions, lemon zest and garlic, selling for £39 per portion.

Sarah Rhone, operations director at the high-end restaurant, previously told Metro: ‘We have been operating since 2016, and this is the first time we’ve had produce stolen.’

Days later, more footage was released showing a woman taking items from Petals at Bibendum, located just a short walk from the restaurant.

Police said yesterday that Frolova, of Lucan Place, was arrested in December over the incidents.

She pleaded guilty to theft and burglary charges relating to both the restaurant and the florist in December last year.

She also admitted stealing hundreds of pounds worth of vitamins and a pair of nail clippers from nearby Zen Pharmacy.

The serial thief was remanded in custody and appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on January 5, where she was fined a total of £350.

Max Cansdale, who has co-owned Petals at Bibendum for five years, said the impact of theft had hit his business hard.

He said: ‘All that can be done for small businesses that face this shoplifting epidemic is to put preventative measures in place.

‘All of our products are now secured with fishing wire – so if you pick something up and run off with it as an opportunist, that won’t work because you won’t be able to tug on it, you’ll be stuck – and then a staff member will confront you.’

Cansdale said because of high levels of theft, the shop has hired a security guard and packs away the whole shop at night.

He added: ‘It’s a lot more work for the team, we have team members that come in half an hour earlier to open up, they work later so that they can pack away.’

Elystan Street general manager Becky McLaughlin told the BBC shortly after the theft: ‘It’s just somebody that is clearly trying their luck and doesn’t really realise the impact something small to them has on an independent restaurant.

‘There is a massive domino effect and it’s a cost that now just has to be swallowed.’

The Met said: ‘Ekaterina Frolova appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, December 15, 2025, where she pleaded guilty to theft and burglary.

‘She was remanded in custody and sentenced at the same court on Monday, 5 January, where she was given a total fine of £350.00’

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