Current Events > Impostors stole thousands of pounds of British cheddar

(+) Yeah! (+)

The British artisanal cheese community is reeling from what its calling the great or grate cheese heist of 2024 after imposters stole tens of thousands of pounds of high-value cheddar from a major distributor.

London-based retailer and cheesemaker Neals Yard Dairy announced last week that it had been the victim of a sophisticated fraud resulting in the loss of over 300,000 worth of clothbound Cheddar the equivalent of more than $389,000.

The theft involved a fraudulent buyer posing as a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer, with the cheese delivered before the discovery of the fraudulent identity, the company said.

The thieves made off with 950 wheels over 22 metric tons, or roughly 48,500 pounds of Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork cheddar, it added. The wheels came from three different artisan suppliers across England and Wales.

Between them, these cheeses have won numerous awards and are amongst the most sought-after artisan cheeses in the U.K., Neals Yard Dairy said. The high monetary value of these cheeses likely made them a particular target for the thieves.

The crime cuts deep: Cheddar, which originated in a village by the same name in Somerset, England, is the best-selling cheese in the U.K. and a big source of national pride.

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver explained in an Instagram video that there is only a small handful of real cheddar cheese makers in the world, and thats where the stolen cheese came from. He called it a real shame.

I heard they made their getaway by rolling it down a hill

Sorry guys there's been a big misunderstanding. When they said thousands of pounds they meant 2000 approximately. Not a big deal really.

I found a mugshot of the suspect
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5f58cb4d.jpg

The British artisanal cheese community