Nearly $400,000 of artisanal cheddar cheese was stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy in London on Oct. 21. Neal’s Yard Dairy is one of Britain’s most famous dairy and cheese specialists and is located in London’s Borough Market.
A 63-year-old man was arrested in connection with the theft and released on bail. As of now, his identity has not been released to the public.
Neal’s Yard Dairy was tricked into delivering over 950 wheels of Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork Cheddar after a fraudulent buyer posed as a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer. In total, the amount of cheese weighed over 300,000 pounds, or 24 tons.
In a statement posted to their Instagram, Neal’s Yard Dairy thanked the public for their support and stated, “Despite the significant financial blow, we have honoured our commitment to our small-scale suppliers and paid all three artisan cheesemakers in full.”
British chef Jamie Oliver mentioned the robbery on Instagram to his over 10.5 million followers. He warned them to be on the lookout for “lorry loads of very posh cheese.” Oliver said that as the world’s most consumed cheese type, a cheddar theft affects exports to 20 different countries. He advised cheese enthusiasts to be wary of suspiciously large quantities of premium cheddar on the black market.
Police still do not know where the cheese is currently being held.
