What's happened
A sophisticated scam led to the theft of 22 metric tons of artisanal cheddar cheese worth £300,000 from Neal's Yard Dairy. The cheese, including Hafod Welsh Cheddar, was delivered to a fake distributor, raising concerns about trust in the food supply chain. The Metropolitan Police are investigating.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Patrick Holden, owner of Holden Farm Dairy, expressed shock at the theft, stating, "It was the biggest order we ever had - so it was quite a shock." The New York Times reported that the scam involved a fake French distributor, with Holden noting, "We never imagined that this sort of thing would happen." BBC News highlighted the potential for the stolen cheese to end up in markets where provenance is less scrutinized, with Holden speculating it could be sold in the Middle East or Russia. Jamie Oliver also weighed in, calling for vigilance against the sale of cheap cheese, stating, "If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns."
How we got here
The incident occurred on October 21, 2024, when Neal's Yard Dairy shipped a large order of cheese to what they believed was a legitimate French wholesale distributor. The scam was discovered when payment was not received.
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