The cheese heist - 18th November 2024

In a plot worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, London's Neal's Yard Dairy has been conned out of 22 tonnes of premium quality cheddar, worth £300,000. The meticulously planned heist targetted Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork cheddars, produced by three artisan cheesemakers. Commenting on the thieves' haul, John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, which hosts the World Cheese Awards, described the produce as "the Canalettos or the Stradivarius of the cheese world."

The coordinated deception which facilitated this unlikely theft was months in the making. Back in July, Neal's Yard's managing director, Sarah Stewart, received an approach via email which purported to be from a well-known and highly reputable European cheese distributor. The email claimed that their client, a French supermarket chain, was seeking a premium cheddar for its stores.

Following this, the thieves nurtured their relationship with Stewart, winning her trust and securing delivery of 950 wheels of artisan cheddar in late September. However, when the invoice remained unpaid and Stewart reached out to the actual distributor, her worst fears were realised.

The taste for English cheese on the international market has matured in recent years, with speciality produce from artisan cheesemakers particularly highly sought-after. Consequently, some experts conjecture that this was a heist to order for a foreign client and that the Big Cheese behind the swindle is based in Russia or the Middle East.

Nonetheless, as the cheeses contain unpasteurised milk, transporting their delicate haul over long distances poses considerable difficulties. The cheeses must be stored and shipped in carefully managed, chilled conditions and they require regular turning. Since they are a perishable foodstuff, experts fear that should the cheeses not be sold on in good time, they risk being dumped into landfill or sold off to fast food establishments for a fraction of their true value.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has appealed to the public to report anyone attempting to sell them cheese off the back of a lorry. Mindful that its suppliers would be unable to absorb the losses from the theft, Neal's Yard has honoured its debts to the producers to keep their businesses alive.