Supplier says theft of ‘truckloads of luxury cheese’ is a tough loss

A cheese supplier said the theft of 22 tonnes of cheddar was a “very difficult loss”.

Tom Calver, manager of Westcombe Dairy in Westcombe, Somerset, which produced some of the stolen cheese, said he was “very upset” when he heard the news.

London-based producer Neal’s Yard Dairy said it had delivered more than 950 cheddar cheeses, reportedly worth £300,000, to a fraudster posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer before realizing what had happened.

Neal’s Yard was still paying Westcombe, as well as fellow producers Hafod and Pitchfork, so that they would not have to bear the cost “despite the significant financial hit”.

Mr Calver, 42, said: “I was really worried about what this was and the consequences.

“Neal’s Yard was amazing. We try to support people as much as possible by encouraging them to shop from them.

“This is a huge, very difficult loss.”

Neal’s Yard said it was working with police to identify the perpetrators.

Mr. Calver said it took him half a day to sell one cheese at the market this weekend.

“Is it ridiculous that, of all the things to steal in the world, there are 22 tons of cheese?” he added.

“What this shows that amazes me is the value people place on these wonderful artisan-made foods.”

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has asked his followers on social media to be wary of “truckloads of luxury cheese” being sold “cheaply”.

He told his 10.5 million followers: “There was a big cheese robbery. Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen.”

Oliver called it “a real shame” and added: “If anyone hears that luxury cheese is going for cheap, it’s probably some mistake.”

“In the fast food sector, in the commercial sector, will they tear it from the fabric, cut it, grate it and throw it away? I don’t know; Stealing seems like a really weird thing to do.”

Mr Calver’s Westcombe Cheddar cheese had been aged for 12 to 18 months and he said the stolen cheese had been produced 15 months ago.

He said: “What worries me is the trust element in things. At the end of the day, what we need to have is more trust in the food supply system rather than less trust.

“I hope more people want to know where their food comes from.”

Mr Calver’s cheddar cheese sells for £7 for 250g.

“What we do is we have two herds of cows. “We farm in a regenerative way, trying to work with nature rather than against it,” he said.

“We look for quality and try to create the flavor of a particular place and moment.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “On Monday 21 October we received a report that a large quantity of cheese had been stolen from a Southwark-based producer.

“Investigations into the situation are continuing.

“There were no arrests”