‘Grate cheese robbery’: Man arrested after 24 tons of cheddar totaling $390,000 stolen in London
In the end it may have just been too much cheddar to make a clean getaway.
A 63-year-old man has been arrested after more than 24 tons of artisanal cheese from one of Britain’s most famous dairy companies was stolen, authorities said.
The man was detained on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods. He was taken to a south London police station where he was questioned and has since been bailed pending further inquiries, according to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police.
The cheese, worth over $390,000, was taken from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy on Oct. 21, the company said in an Instagram post.
In an update made to the post’s caption on Wednesday, the company added, “On 30th October, we learned that the Metropolitan Police made an arrest in connection with the theft. We are grateful for the progress they have made, and we will continue to support their investigation in any way we can.”
The 950 wheels of cloth-wrapped artisanal cheddar were nabbed from Neal’s Yard Dairy by a fraudulent buyer posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer, the company said. Every wheel of cheese had been delivered before they realized they’d been scammed.
Three cheeses from three different suppliers were stolen: Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar, and Pitchfork cheddar. Neal’s Yard Dairy said that “despite the significant financial blow,” they’ve paid each of their artisan cheesemakers in full for their products.
Tom Calver from Westcombe said in a video posted to Instagram that “it was a hoax — it was theft, it was fraud.” Behind him were rows of empty shelves in the dairy, showcasing how much cheese was taken.
Another cheesemaker, Trethowan Brothers, which supplied the Pitchfork Cheddar, said they were “fully (and swiftly) paid” by Neal’s Yard Dairy, despite the theft.
“The way they have handled this horrible situation has only deepened our respect and admiration for them,” Trethowan Brothers wrote in an Instagram post. “We are proud to supply them and call them our friends.”
Even British chef Jamie Oliver is spreading the word about the “grate cheese robbery.”
Oliver, who is known as “The Naked Chef” on TV, told his 10.5 million Instagram followers 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.
“Remember, if the deal seems too gouda to be true, it probably is!” he said.
The whereabouts of the stolen cheese have yet to be determined. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
