Volunteer Paul Henshaw, 70, said it was not possible to determine their motivation, but they would have offered help to them if they had only asked.
He added: “We were initially shocked someone had broken into the hall, whatever their motive.
“Our initial anger went to, why do people do these sorts of things?
“We wanted to hope people wouldn’t have to resort to such measures to get to food – that’s why we’re here.
“We’ll hopefully just brush this to one side and carry on and help people.”
The food bank is open every Saturday and about 30 people attend every week.
Volunteers expect they will be able to restock in time for their first session in January, due to the support of their donors.
Nottinghamshire Police said officers were investigating the burglary and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.