Fraudsters trick renowned London cheese producer into parting with $390,000 worth of cheddar | Dinogo

More than 24 tons of artisanal cheese have been stolen by criminals from one of the UK’s most well-known dairy brands.

Neal’s Yard Dairy, based in London, disclosed last week on Instagram that it had fallen victim to the peculiar theft, sharing some ‘hard news’ with its followers.

In a post, Neal’s Yard Dairy confirmed it had suffered a theft, with over 22 tonnes (24.25 tons) of its prized clothbound Cheddar taken.

The company reported being contacted by a ‘fraudulent buyer’ pretending to be a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer.

The company, which exports premium British and Irish cheeses to global retailers and restaurants, only discovered the scam when it was too late. The cheeses, sourced from three different artisan producers, had already been handed over to the fraudsters.

The post went on to state: ‘Over 950 wheels of Hafod, Westcombe, and Pitchfork Cheddar were delivered before the fraud was uncovered. Despite the financial setback, we have upheld our promise to our small suppliers and paid each of the three artisan cheesemakers in full.’

In a video shared on Instagram, Oliver said: ‘You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not – there’s been a major cheese heist.’

‘Some of the finest cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen,’ he remarked.

Calling the theft a ‘real shame,’ Oliver continued: ‘If anyone comes across any fancy cheese being sold at a discount, it’s probably from some shady characters.’

Pondering what the thieves could possibly do with ‘truckloads of fancy cheese,’ he asked: ‘Will they strip the cloth off, cut it, grate it, and push it into the fast food or commercial sector? It seems like an odd thing to steal.’

Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy, one of the suppliers of the stolen cheese, said on Instagram that the crime had been ‘hard to comprehend.’

In a video filmed in front of rows of barren shelves in the dairy, Calver stated: ‘We’re one of three cheese producers who fulfilled this order for individuals pretending to be a wholesaler or customer of a major French retailer.’

‘It was a scam – a clear case of theft and fraud,’ he added.

Trethowan Brothers, another cheesemaker who provided the Pitchfork Cheddar, posted: ‘Please stay vigilant for high-quality cheese being sold at low prices, and do support @nealsyarddairy. Despite the huge loss, they’ve been incredible, promptly and fully compensating us cheesemakers.’

Neal’s Yard Dairy stated that it is ‘cooperating with law enforcement to track down the criminals responsible for this fraud.’

A representative from the Metropolitan Police told Dinogo via email that they were alerted about the theft on October 21. The statement also mentioned: ‘Investigations are ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet.’