Neal’s Yard Dairy was scammed out of 950 wheels of cheese, which Jamie Oliver called the Grate Cheese Robbery (Pictures: Shutterstock/Instagram)
Thieves have made off with 22 tonnes of luxury cheddar after conning a London cheese firm.
Neal’s Yard Dairy said it delivered more than 950 wheels of it to the fraudsters, who claimed they were a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer.
It was only afterwards they realised the whole thing was a scam.
The firm said it would still pay the three small-scale producers, Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork, who made the cheese, ‘despite the significant financial blow’ Neal’s Yard Dairy would incur as a result.
It said it was working with police to identify the perpetrators.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: ‘On Monday, 21 October we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a manufacturer based in Southwark.
‘Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances.’
Neal’s Yard Dairy said it was a ‘significant financial blow’ (Picture: Shutterstock/Alan Kean)
Westcombe, one of the producers who supplied the cheese to Neal’s Yard, called on people to look out for the cheddar (Picture: Westcombe/Instagram)
Police said no arrests have been made related to the alleged theft.
Jamie Oliver posted about the theft on his Instagram page, writing: ‘In a shocking turn of events, Neal’s Yard Dairy has fallen victim to a brazen heist of epic proportions.
‘A staggering 22 tonnes of premium cheddar, worth £300,000, have vanished, leaving the cheese world reeling.’
Jamie Oliver posted about the theft on Instagram (Picture: Jami Oliver/Instagram)
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Neal’s Yard Dairy urged 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.
Cheesemakers Westcombe joined the call, posting a video on their Instagram page asking people to keep an eye out for the cheddar.
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Source:: Metro
