A London-based artisan cheese manufacturer has reported more than 22 tonnes of cheddar stolen after being tricked by a con artist in an alleged scam.
Neal’s Yard Dairy said it delivered more than 950 wheels of mature cheddar to the alleged fraudster posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer before realising what had happened.
In a statement, the company said: “The stolen cheese comprised a total of over 22 tonnes ... of three artisan Cheddars, including Hafod Welsh Organic Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar, and Pitchfork Cheddar.
‘Lorryloads of Posh Cheese’
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has asked his followers on social media to be alert for “lorryloads of posh cheese” being sold “for cheap.”Oliver told his 10.5 million followers on Instagram: “There has been a great cheese robbery. Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen.”
He described it as a “real shame,” adding: “If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns.
“So if anyone hears anything about lorryloads of posh cheese, I mean 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? I don’t know—it feels like a really weird thing to nick.”
Neal’s Yard asked cheesemongers around the world to contact them if they suspect they have been sold the stolen cheese, particularly clothbound cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached.
In a statement posted on its Instagram page, the company thanked people for the “support” it has received since sharing news of the alleged theft.
The statement added: “Many of you have asked how you can help. To that, we say: continue to support British and Irish cheese. Hafod, Pitchfork and Westcombe are special examples of farmhouse cheddar. Eat them. Celebrate them.
‘Regenerative Farming’
Tom Calver, director of Westcombe Dairy in Westcombe, Somerset, which produced some of the stolen cheese and said he was “hugely distressed” when he heard the news.Neal’s Yard still paid Westcombe, as well as another producer, Hafod and Pitchfork, so they would not be left out of pocket, “despite the significant financial blow.”
Calver’s Westcombe Cheddar is aged for 12 to 18 months and sells for £7 for 250g.
He said: “What worries me is the trust element in things. At the end of the day, what we need to have is more trust in the food supply system, rather than less of it.
“I hope more people will want to know where their food comes from,“ he said, adding that his company is trying to farm in a ”regenerative way, trying to work alongside nature rather than against it.”
There has been speculation in the media from cheese producers that the truckles, which can sell for up to £45 per kilo, could be headed abroad, possibly to Russia or the Middle East, where fewer questions are likely to be asked about its origin.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said no arrests have been made so far and that enquiries are ongoing.
