Thieves Steal $400,000 Worth of Artisan Cheddar

Thieves stole a large quantity of cheddar cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy, one of the UK’s most renowned cheese stores.

The company announced on social media that the thieves, pretending to be a legitimate wholesale distributor, ordered over 950 wheels of clothbound Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork cheddar.

The cheese was valued at approximately $390,000, according to the company.

Neal’s Yard Dairy reportedly delivered 22 metric tons (48,488 pounds) of cheddar before discovering the order was fraudulent. 

The dairy retailer stated that they covered the cost of the theft, which affected the smaller cheesemakers.

“Despite the significant financial loss, we have upheld our commitment to our small-scale suppliers and paid all three artisan cheesemakers in full,” they stated.

The dairy retailer said they are collaborating with law enforcement to be on the lookout for “clothbound Cheddars in a [22-pound] or [52-pound] format with the tags detached”