Neal’s Yard’s stolen cheese could be sold abroad, supplier says

Cheddar stolen from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy may have been shipped abroad to be sold on, a supplier has told the BBC.

Truckles of Patrick Holden’s Hafod Welsh Cheddar was among the £300,000 worth of produce stolen in a recent scam.

Mr Holden said he believed the con was “sophisticated” and that the cheese could have been taken to Russia or the Middle East.

“They have already claimed £300,000, these criminals, and if they sell the cheese they’ll get more again”, Mr Holden said.

Fraudsters posing as legitimate wholesalers received the 22 tonnes of clothbound cheeses from the Southwark-based company before it was realised they were a fake firm.

The high-value, award-winning cheeses, which also include Westcombe and Pitchfork are sold for as much as £45 per kg.

At the time the order was made, Neal’s Yard believed it had come from an agent for a French supermarket, Mr Holden told Radio 4’s Today programme.

But after it was delivered to a warehouse on the outskirts of London, the invoice was not paid.

Mr Holden, who runs a dairy farm in western Wales, said he and Neal’s Yard had been “excited” to receive such a large order and the theft had been a “violation”.

“That made it all the more shocking really, that this could happen to a product that is hallmarked with openness and trust and transparency all the way down from the producer to the final customer.”

On Monday Neal’s Yard Dairy thanked those who had “rallied” to support the business since the news of the theft and said it had received a “an overwhelming number of calls, messages, and visits”.

“We are truly touched that so many people in the artisan cheese community and beyond are standing with us. It’s a reminder of why we love the work we do.”

Posting on social media, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver called for people to keep an eye out for “lorryloads of posh cheese” being sold “for cheap”.

Oliver told his Instagram followers: “There has been a great cheese robbery. Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen.”

He described it as a “real shame”, adding: “If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns.”

Mr Holden said though it was a “sad story”, he did not think the cheese industry would change how it operates.

He added that he hoped it would serve as a “wake-up call” about food production.

“Don’t we want more trusted and transparent ways to get out food from the people who produce it?

“I think that is what’s disappeared in our modern food systems, we need to know more about the story behind our food…that should be our right.”

The Met Police has confirmed it is investigating “the theft of a large quantity of cheese”.