Neal's Yard Dairy store in London on Oct. 20, 2023.JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT/The New York Times News Service
Tom Calver makes award-winning cheese on his farm in the heart of England’s cheddar country, and some of his 18-year-old wheels sell for as much as $47 per kilogram. But even he’s astounded that anyone would want to steal his cheddar, let alone 10 tonnes of it.
Mr. Calver is among three British cheesemakers and a dealer who have been caught up in a sophisticated scam involving 22 tonnes of cheddar worth more than £300,000 ($541,000). Police are no closer to finding the culprits, and there has been speculation that the stolen product is destined for Russia, where Western sanctions have made luxury goods scarce.
“It’s a real nightmare,” Mr. Calver said Monday from his farm, Westcombe Dairy, in South West England. “Out of all the things to steal in the world, nobody would have thought that somebody would be targeting 22 tonnes of cheddar. I guess it’s almost an honour, to be honest.”
The saga began in July when representatives of Neal’s Yard Dairy, a London-based cheese dealer, were contacted by someone posing as a buyer for a French retailer looking to purchase 950 cheddar truckles, which are small, cylindrical portions.
British chef Jamie Oliver urges followers to help solve the ‘grate cheese robbery’
The buyer was well-versed in the cheese market and the transaction appeared to be legitimate, so Neal’s Yard approached Mr. Calver and two other English cheesemakers – Holden Farm and Trethowan Brothers Dairy – to see if they could fill the order.
“We kind of jumped at the chance to help them out,” said Mr. Calver, who works regularly with Neal’s Yard. Westcombe supplied 10 tonnes of various cheeses, its largest single sale ever. “We only produce between 90 and 100 tonnes of cheese a year, so this was a significant chunk of that.”
Holden and Trethowan supplied an additional 12 tonnes, which included varieties of Hafod and Pitchfork worth as much as £45 per kilogram.
The buyer arranged for a truck to pick up half the order in late September from the Neal’s Yard warehouse in southeast London. Neal’s Yard arranged for the second half to be delivered to a warehouse in north London. It was then supposed to receive full payment.
When the money didn’t arrive, the company contacted the French distributor the buyer purported to represent, only to discover that no order existed. “We are currently working with law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators of this fraud. In the meantime, we would like to put out a call to everyone within our esteemed community of cheesemongers around the world,” Neal’s Yard said in a statement last week. The company also urged dealers “to be on the watch for clothbound cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached.”
The cheese can be stored for many months as long as it isn’t cut open, which means individual truckles could be sent almost anywhere.
Neal’s Yard has been praised for paying the three dairy farms in full for the cheese and taking the entire financial hit.
“They’ve been brilliant,” Mr. Calver said, adding that Neal’s Yard has been a long-time champion of the British craft cheese sector, which relies largely on honesty. “Our tiny little industry, the artisan cheese world, is built around trust, and you really hoped that wasn’t being eroded so much. But it just does feel like – is nothing sacred?”
Patrick Holden, the owner of Holden Farms, added that while it might sound naive for Neal’s Yard to fall victim to a scam, trust is deeply embedded in cheese transactions. “It’s a world where one’s word is one’s bond,” he said.
Since the theft came to light, Neal’s Yard has received an outpouring of support from customers, suppliers and celebrities.
In a video on Instagram, famed British chef Jamie Oliver said the theft could affect the global cheddar market and called on food distributors to help catch the crooks.
“As the world’s most consumed cheese type, cheddar’s theft affects Neal’s Yard Dairy’s exports to 20 countries,” he said. “Cheese enthusiasts are advised 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! Let’s find these cheese stealers.”
Neal’s Yard thanked its supporters and added in a statement, “Many of you have asked how you can help. To that, we say: continue to support British and Irish cheese. Hafod, Pitchfork, and Westcombe are special examples of farmhouse cheddar. Eat them. Celebrate them.”