Jamie Oliver calls for help from fans after ‘major cheese heist’

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has urged people to be aware of “truckloads of fancy cheese” being sold “for cheap” after more than 22 tonnes of cheddar was stolen from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy.

Fraudsters posing as legitimate wholesalers for a major French retailer were sent the 950 linen-bound cheeses, worth more than £300,000. before realizing it was a fake company.

In a post on Instagram, Oliver told his followers: “A major cheese heist has occurred. Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen.”

He described it as a “real shame”, adding: “If anyone hears about expensive cheese being sold cheaply, it’s probably the wrong stuff.”

He continued, “I don’t really know what they’re going to do with it.

“Are they going to peel it off the cloth, cut it, grate it and throw it away in the fast food industry, in the commercial industry? I don’t know – it feels really weird to steal.”

The hundreds of truckles of cheese consisted of three artisan cheddars – Hafod Welsh, Westcombe and Pitchfork – all of which are award-winning and have a high monetary value.

Neal’s Yard Dairy sells Hafod Welsh for £12.90 for a 300g piece, while Westcombe costs £7.15 for 250g and Pitchfork £11 for 250g.

The company said it had still paid the producers of the cheese so that individual dairies did not have to bear the costs, adding that it was working with police to identify the perpetrators.

It is now trying to absorb the financial setback, a spokesperson said.

The company also urged cheesemongers around the world to contact them if they suspect the stolen cheese has been sold to them, particularly linen-bound cheddars in 10kg or 24kg sizes with the tags removed.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “On Monday we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a Southwark manufacturer.

“The circumstances are being investigated.”

Police said no arrests have been made in connection with the alleged theft.