Who stole 950 wheels of cheddar?

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It’s been all over the news in London, UK: on October 21st 2024, thieves stole 950 wheels of cheddar from a beloved cheese retailer called Neal’s Yard Dairy. 

It amounted to £300,000 worth of produce – a devastating loss for this dairy specialist. But as well as being a sad story, this theft triggered a global community to come together in support of the cheese (and the people who sell it); and turn the theft into a perfect PR moment. 

How did they steal so much cheese?

If you’re imagining a team of criminals rolling wheels of cheese down busy London roads, dodging double-decker buses and mopeds while dogs pull their owners’ shoulders out of their sockets at the aroma of cheddar on the move – you’re not alone. That’s exactly what we pictured, too. 

But no; these criminals were more crafty than that. As reported by The Guardian, the fraudsters posed as a wholesale distributor for a French retailer, and tricked Neal’s Yard into delivering the 950 wheels into their arms. 

Investigators have since suggested that the cheese may have been shipped very quickly out of the country, to markets where the award-winning cheeses in question (including Westcombe and Pitchfork cheddar, which sell for up to £45 per kg) are less recognisable. 

Cheese supporters have rallied around 

At time of writing, the investigation is still in progress. But the part of this story that we love is this: 

Members of the public, along with public figures from across the food and beverage sector, have stepped up in support of Neal’s Yard Dairy. 

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, for example, informed his 10.5 million followers on Instagram about the theft in a post, stating that “Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen.” He asked his people to keep watch for “posh cheese going for cheap.” 

And Sarah Stewart, who owns Neal’s Yard Dairy, told The Times they’ve received a vast number of messages of support and new orders from customers all over the world. 

“Clearly British people love their cheese but we have had a lot of really incredible people getting in touch, it seems like it’s gone international. We’ve had producers that we buy from asking what can they do, can they offer extended terms and financial support, and trade customers saying ‘can we pay quicker and what can we do?’.” 

A bad moment for trust in food systems, but a good moment for trust in humanity 

Apart from the immediate loss, the worrying side of this story is that it has the potential to create more distrust in an already complex and challenging international food system. Companies at every step in the food supply chain need to be able to trust that orders made will be fulfilled; and that fulfilments delivered will be paid for. 

But the reaction of the international F&B community is an antidote to this mistrust. By supporting the retailer with orders and amplifying awareness of the theft, F&B is sending a message to threat actors in this space – that a crime like this can’t be committed quietly. 

Share your perspective

Have you been caught up in the great cheese theft of 2024, or a completely different F&B scam? We want to hear about it.

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