Nearly 10,000 wheels of luxury cheese have been stolen from Neal's Yard Dairy in London.
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The so-called “Grate Cheese Robbery” occurred in London last week, involving the theft of 950 artisan cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy in Southwark. The Metropolitan Police Service state this is valued at over £300,000.
Founded in 1979, Neal’s Yard Dairy has become one of London’s most famous cheese shops, known for selling premium cheddars priced up to £15 per 100g.
The stolen varieties included Hafod Welsh Organic Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar, and Pitchfork Cheddar—three of the store’s most sought-after products.
The theft was a sophisticated case of fraud, with perpetrators posing as French wholesalers to place a large order without transferring payment. The company initially felt “excited” about the sizeable order but now describes feeling “grossly violated.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, “On Monday, October 21, we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a manufacturer based in Southwark. Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances. No arrests have been made.”
The heist has garnered national attention, with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver urging his Instagram followers to be on the lookout for any “posh cheese going for cheap.”
@jamieoliver on Instagram
Oliver asked, “Are they going to unpeel it from the cloth, and cut it and grate it and get rid of it in the fast-food industry, in the commercial industry? I don’t know—it feels like a really weird thing to nick.”
Patrick Holden, the owner of Neal’s Yard, speculated that the stolen cheeses might have been smuggled to Russia, where an embargo on high-value goods could facilitate quick sales.
“It will be easily sold there, where people aren’t going to ask questions about where it came from,” Holden stated.
Lucy Cufflin, head of the UK’s largest artisan cheese market, echoed these thoughts, suggesting that the cheeses have likely already left the UK.
“Knowing the UK cheese market, I don’t believe they could be sold here. They must have left the country,” she stated.
Despite the significant financial blow, Neal’s Yard has paid Westcombe Dairy and other producers to ensure they do not bear the cost. The company continues to work with the Metropolitan Police to recover the stolen goods, but as of now, the case remains unsolved.
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HeadlineThe Grate Cheese Robbery: £300,000 of cheese stolen from London
Short HeadlineCheese worth £300k stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy
StandfirstAround 950 wheels of luxury cheese have been stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy in Southwark.
The so-called “Grate Cheese Robbery” occurred in London last week, involving the theft of 950 artisan cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy in Southwark. The Metropolitan Police Service state this is valued at over £300,000.
Founded in 1979, Neal’s Yard Dairy has become one of London’s most famous cheese shops, known for selling premium cheddars priced up to £15 per 100g.
The stolen varieties included Hafod Welsh Organic Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar, and Pitchfork Cheddar—three of the store’s most sought-after products.
The theft was a sophisticated case of fraud, with perpetrators posing as French wholesalers to place a large order without transferring payment. The company initially felt “excited” about the sizeable order but now describes feeling “grossly violated.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, “On Monday, October 21, we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a manufacturer based in Southwark. Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances. No arrests have been made.”
The heist has garnered national attention, with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver urging his Instagram followers to be on the lookout for any “posh cheese going for cheap.”
@jamieoliver on Instagram
Oliver asked, “Are they going to unpeel it from the cloth, and cut it and grate it and get rid of it in the fast-food industry, in the commercial industry? I don’t know—it feels like a really weird thing to nick.”
Patrick Holden, the owner of Neal’s Yard, speculated that the stolen cheeses might have been smuggled to Russia, where an embargo on high-value goods could facilitate quick sales.
“It will be easily sold there, where people aren’t going to ask questions about where it came from,” Holden stated.
Lucy Cufflin, head of the UK’s largest artisan cheese market, echoed these thoughts, suggesting that the cheeses have likely already left the UK.
“Knowing the UK cheese market, I don’t believe they could be sold here. They must have left the country,” she stated.
Despite the significant financial blow, Neal’s Yard has paid Westcombe Dairy and other producers to ensure they do not bear the cost. The company continues to work with the Metropolitan Police to recover the stolen goods, but as of now, the case remains unsolved.
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