Thieves steal 22 tons of award-winning cheese in UK

Thieves in UK made off with an impressive haul of 22 metric tons of award-winning cheddar, valued at around £300,000 ($390,000).

Thieves with a taste for high-quality cheese executed a major heist in London, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Neal’s Yard Dairy revealed that a fraudster pretending to be a wholesale distributor for a well-known French retailer absconded with 22 metric tons (48,488 pounds) of prize-winning cheddar, valued at £300,000 ($390,000). 

The company only realized it had been duped and reported the theft. Neal's Yard Dairy, a distributor and retailer of British artisanal cheese, stated, “The high value of these cheeses likely made them a prime target for the thieves.” Detectives from Scotland Yard, along with international authorities, are actively pursuing the culprits.

Approximately 1,000 wheels of cloth-wrapped cheese from three producers - Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar, and Pitchfork cheddar—have gone missing. The dairy offers a wedge of Hafod cheddar for £12.90 ($16.70) for 270 grams (9.5 ounces). 

Tom Calver, a director at Westcombe Dairy, noted that significant effort went into crafting the cheese, which has been aged for 12 to 18 months. 

“We're heartbroken,” Calver expressed. “It’s just awful that this has been stolen.” Neal's Yard Dairy has urged international cheesemongers to be vigilant for the stolen cheese, especially in 10-kilogram (22-pound) and 24-kilogram (52-pound) blocks.

The company emphasized that it has fully compensated all three cheesemakers, reflecting its commitment to supporting small independent businesses in the British cheese industry.

By Naila Huseynova