Thieves rob London cheesemaker Neal's Yard of £300k of high-value cheddar in 'sophisticated scam'
26 October 2024, 09:55 | Updated: 26 October 2024, 10:02
Hundreds of wheels of cheddar worth more than £300,000 have been stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy.
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The Southwark-based cheese company said scammers posing as legitimate French wholesale retailers have stolen 950 wheels of Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork Cheddar.
Neal’s Yard said they only discovered the theft after the expensive, award-winning cheeses had been delivered to the fraudulent buyers.
In a statement posted to their website, the artisan cheesemakers said: “Despite the significant financial blow, we have honoured our commitment to our small-scale suppliers and paid all three artisan cheesemakers in full.
“The company is now taking steps to address the situation to ensure both its financial stability and the continued development of the British artisan cheese sector.”
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The Met Police confirmed there is an investigation underway, and that no arrests have been made.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver posted an appeal to his Instagram account, calling on people to be wary of purchasing stolen cheese.
Oliver said: “If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong-uns.
“It seems like a really weird thing to nick - 22 tonnes worth of the best cheese in the world has gone missing!
“Get behind this, support our guys, it’s the great cheese robbery.”
The artisan cheese sector is one where trust is paramount, claims Patrick Holden, the owner of the dairy farm where Hafod Cheddar is made.
Patrick said: “The breach of trust by this fraudulent customer is a violation of the atmosphere of good faith and respect that all of Neal’s Yard Dairy’s trading relationships have personified over the years.
“It might have caused the company a setback, but the degree of trust that exists within our small industry as a whole is due in no small part to the ethos of Neal’s Yard Dairy’s founders.”
Neal’s Yard is counting on the support of its customers in helping them recover from the financial blow.
They said: “We encourage customers to continue supporting us in the coming months by choosing our cheeses, knowing that every purchase helps sustain our commitment to the small-scale producers we champion.
People that are offered or receive cheeses they believe may have been associated with this theft, particularly clothbound Cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached, are encouraged to contact info@nealsyarddairy.co.uk.
