22 tonnes of Cheddar cheese were stolen recently (Photo Credit: Instagram/ nealsyarddairy)
Neal’s Yard Dairy, a premium London-based artisanal cheese company, was recently scammed of over 22 tonnes of clothbound Cheddar. As per reports, the total cost of the stolen cheese is around £300,000 (over Rs 3 crore). “The theft involved a fraudulent buyer posing as a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer. Over 950 wheels of Hafod, Westcombe, and Pitchfork Cheddar were delivered before the fraud was discovered. Despite the significant financial blow, we have honoured our commitment to our small-scale suppliers and paid all three artisan cheesemakers in full,” Neal’s Yard Dairy revealed on Instagram.
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The news caught the attention of celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver, who also took to the platform to spread the word about the theft. Calling it the “Grate Cheese Robbery,” he explained how some of the best Cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen. He praised Neal’s Yard Dairy for paying the cheesemakers the amount owed, despite the loss. However, he pointed out that “the amount stolen equals the entire annual production of Hafod cheese, potentially creating a significant gap in the artisanal cheese market… As the world’s most consumed cheese type, Cheddar’s theft affects Neal’s Yard Dairy’s exports to 20 countries.”
Chef wondered aloud about the reason behind the theft, saying “I don’t know what they are going to do with it, really… Are they going to unpeel it from the cloth, and cut it and grate it and get rid of it in the fast food industry, in the commercial industry? It feels like a really weird thing to nick.” He called on people to keep an eye out for the missing cheese. In the caption, Chef Jamie Oliver cautioned cheese enthusiasts to be wary of large quantities of premium Cheddar being sold on the black market. “Remember, if the deal seems too gouda to be true, it probably is! Let’s find these cheese stealers,” he wrote. He has also sought help and support for the cheesemakers impacted.
Neal’s Yard Dairy later took to Instagram to thank “everyone who has rallied to support us in the last few days”. They wrote, “Since sharing the news of our theft, we have received an overwhelming number of calls, messages, and visits.” Read their complete statement below:
Neal’s Yard Dairy said it is “working with law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators of this fraud”, reported CNN. One of the cheese producers affected by the fraud told the BBC may have been shipped abroad and could have been taken to Russia or the Middle East.
