22 tonnes of cheddar cheese stolen – how to get rid of it?

In the wake of a massive theft of premium cheddar cheese in the UK, the question has arisen: How on earth will the 22 tonnes of stolen cheese be disposed of?

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Soon it was on the media scene as the “Cheese Heist” – or rather, “The Grille” [sic!] Cheese Heist»(grinding = grind/friction. (British people love their puns): Fine cheesemonger Neal's Yard Dairy fell victim to conmen who stole award-winning cheddar cheese worth more than 340,000 francs (equivalent to 22 tons) in a sophisticated scam.

Last July, Neal's Yard received an email that appeared to be from a well-known and reputable distributor in the European cheese industry, who allegedly supplied a large French supermarket chain. Over the next few months the fraudsters developed a trusted business relationship with Neal's Yard manager and partner Sarah Stewart and by the end of September they had ordered and received 950 wheels of cheese, weighing approximately 22 tonnes. When Stewart didn't receive payment within the agreed week, she suspected foul play, and when she contacted the legitimate dealer, her worst fears were confirmed.

As you might expect, this mega-heist raises a lot of questions – perhaps the most interesting of which is: How on earth did the criminals plan to get rid of so much cheese? You can't eat them all.

Food attacks are not as unusual as you might think. Many high-quality foods are easier to sell, such as 2,700 tons of maple syrup from Canada. Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve (Oh, yes — Canada has a “Strategic Maple Syrup Emergency Reserve.”) Some 17 million Swiss francs worth were stolen in 2012, or the 300,000 packages of instant noodles stolen in the United States in 2018.

In the current case, the issue is a bit more complicated: If it were just plain standard cheddar, reselling would be easy. But the cheese being stolen now is the best cheddar ever made. Approximately 3 million francs worth of Parmesan cheese is stolen in Italy every year, which is not surprising as it is relatively easy to sell as it is not as eye-catching as the cheese stolen from Neal's Yard.

“Clothbound” – Cheddar cheese wrapped in cloth: Stay away from supermarket products.Image source: nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Watson talks to cheese expert and founder of Swiss British Cheese Deli Michael William Jones: “Neals Yard Dairy sells the highest quality British raw milk cheeses in their own shops and in gourmet cheese shops and restaurants across the UK. They also sell Exported all over the world, including Switzerland, their cheese is not available in any supermarket, not even in the UK.”

“The stolen wheels of cheese had a very specific 'style' of raw milk cheddar cheese wrapped in cloth. Each cheese had a cardboard label sewn into the cloth. Any cheese seller in the UK would recognize it – or At least you know it's special.”

So will Europe remain a destination for looted property?

Jones: “Since Brexit it has been impossible to export cheese without every batch being tested for veterinary biology. So if the cheese leaves the country it will be smuggled out – which is not that easy to do The thieves might have to hide a pallet or two at a time in a refrigerated truck for legal exports of food. So who can they work with to do this – I guess around 22 tons. It’s 60-70 pallets!”

“But even if they manage to reach Europe, the problem remains that these types of cheese are extremely rare, therefore have a high identification value, and are only sold in small quantities in very specialized cheese shops. These cheese shops are now looking for lots of strange offers. I doubt Neal's Yard has ever exported this much to Europe at one time.”

While international smuggling can be difficult, stolen cheese is more likely to be sold in the UK:

“Less than one per cent of cheddar sold in the UK is the stolen type – raw milk cheese wrapped in cloth direct from the farm. The vast majority is 'block' cheddar – No natural rind, industrial production and vacuum packaging. 99% of cheesemongers have never sold Neal's Yard cheddar and don't want to because it is expensive and requires a lot of skill to care for. “Also, every retailer will be looking for it again. Great deal on this rare cheese. “

It's not just the relative isolation of the cheese world (you know each other) that makes it nearly impossible for thieves to sell their loot. There are also issues of storage and food safety. The cold chain of raw dairy products must be secured. No one would take the risk of purchasing raw milk products from questionable suppliers. Additionally, this fine cheese requires constant attention during storage. You can't just put them in the pantry because they need moisture and have to be turned. Also: Time is ticking—after all, cheese is a perishable food. Therefore, criminals will want to act quickly.

This brings all commentators into the realm of (well-founded) speculation.

“It's possible that the wheel of cheese was stolen to order,” said John Farrand, executive director of the year. world cheese awards, told The Independent. “If that's the case, they have to move to sales markets that are two or three times more decoupled from here. For example, Russia or the Middle East.”

Is it over here? Melted and almost unrecognizable appetizer pastry?Image: Shutter

There are concerns that the cheese will be further processed and sold back to the food industry in large quantities for use in products such as cheese flutes. However, this seems unlikely, as the scammers appear to have specialized knowledge that allowed them to establish professional relationships with Neal's Yard's niche experts in the first place.

Michael William Jones: “The more I think about it, the more I suspect Russian cheese shops will have some great cheese on offer this Christmas.”