Man Arrested in Connection with 24-Ton Cheddar Theft
LONDON − A man has been taken into custody by British authorities following a bold robbery that, while not on the scale of a traditional bank heist, involved an astonishing 24 tons of cheddar cheese. This illicit haul consisted of smooth and waxy cheese, known for its relatively firm texture yet buttery richness and sharp flavor.
He was arrested in relation to a theft involving cheddar cheese.
The incident shocked the British artisanal cheese community in late October when approximately $390,000 worth of rare cheddar was stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy, a prominent cheese shop in London.
On Thursday evening, the Metropolitan Police announced that a 63-year-old man had been taken into custody on charges of fraud by false representation and dealing with stolen property. According to a police spokesperson, he has been released on bail while investigations continue.
Additional details are not available.
The investigation into the “grate cheese heist,” a term coined by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, took off in July. It all started when someone pretending to be a wholesale distributor for a significant French retailer placed an order for 950 “truckles” of Hafod Welsh organic cheddar.
Westcombe cheddar and Pitchfork cheddar from Neal’s Yard come in the form of truckles, which are cylindrical wheels of cheese that vary in size. Sometimes, they are coated with wax, while those taken from Neal’s Yard were wrapped in cloth.
In September, Neal’s Yard sent the cheese to France but soon realized they had been deceived. They discovered this when their invoices went unpaid, and communication with the fake buyer was suddenly cut off.
“We would like to reach out to our valued cheesemonger community around the globe,” the company shared on Instagram. “If anyone encounters or receives cheeses that they suspect might be linked to this theft, especially clothbound Cheddars in either 10kg or 24kg sizes with detached tags, please get in touch with info@nealsyarddairy.co.uk so we can assist the police with their investigation.”
Incidents involving cheese thefts seem to be quite uncommon. Nevertheless, they have occurred.
A group of Italian food enthusiasts faced charges for stealing 2,039 wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano, valued at approximately $875,000 in 2015. Prior to that, in 2013, a man from Illinois was accused of lifting 21 tons of cheese from Wisconsin.
In July, a police officer in Germany was dismissed after he stole cheddar cheese from a truck that had overturned during an accident. The officer’s appeal against his termination was unsuccessful. He maintained that he did not take any bites out of the cheddar.
