Moscow that got the whipped cream? Mystery of ‘grater cheese heist’ swirls as Russia falls under suspicion after scammers steal 22 tons of dairy

Owners of a London dairy that ripped off 22 tonnes of cheddar in what Jamie Oliver called the ‘grater cheese heist’ are wondering who the perpetrators could be – and now some suspicions are pointing towards Russia.

Neal’s Yard Dairy accidentally sent 950 wheels, worth £300,000, to fraudsters who thought they were a legitimate wholesaler.

The company said it had still paid Hafod, Westcombe and Pitchfork, the cheese’s producers, despite “the significant financial hit”.

No one knows where the cheese is, but there are rumors that the heist may have been masterminded by criminals who want to smuggle the cheese into Russia.

Certain food products have been banned in Russia since 2014 after Moscow banned imports in response to EU sanctions over the annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in Ukraine.

‘A whopping 22 tonnes of premium Cheddar, worth £300,000, have disappeared, leaving the cheese world reeling.’

Neil’s Yard said it is working with police to identify suspects in the theft dubbed the ‘Grate Cheese Robbery’, but no arrests have been made.

Sarah Stewart, general manager and co-owner of the dairy, said she received an “unusually large” order over the phone from a man who spoke with a French accent but in perfect English, The Sunday Times reports.

Stewart says: “We asked industry colleagues about the buyer and received very good feedback from our contacts in France.

‘We received a contract from this person with very convincing information: the right company information, a logo, that kind of thing.

“There are sanctions in Russia and there is a strong market for luxury food because there is no legitimate way to get it.

“I have no idea if this happened to our cheese.”

Commenting on the news on Instagram, celebrity chef Jamie said: ‘In a shocking turn of events, Neal’s Yard Dairy has become the victim of a brazen robbery of epic proportions.

‘A whopping 22 tonnes of premium Cheddar, worth £300,000, have disappeared, leaving the cheese world reeling.’

“Cheese lovers are advised to be wary of suspiciously large quantities of premium Cheddar on the black market,” he added.

‘Remember, if the deal seems too golden to be true, it probably is! Let’s find those cheese stealers.’

Neal’s Yard has urged cheesemongers around the world to contact them if they suspect the stolen cheese has been sold to them. It is also clarified that the cloth-bound cheddars are available in a size of 10 kg or 24 kg, with the tags removed.

Patrick Holden, owner of the farm where Hafod Cheddar is made, said: ‘It may sound naive to fall victim to a scam, but the truth is that the artisan cheese world is a place where trust is deeply entrenched in all transactions.

“The breach of trust by this fraudulent customer is a violation of the spirit of good faith and respect that has personified all of Neal’s Yard Dairy’s business relationships over the years.”

In a post on its website, Neal’s Yard said that while the cheese may never be recovered, their priority is to “openly share what happened and prevent this from happening to other businesses.”

A police spokesperson said: ‘On Monday 21 October we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a Southwark manufacturer.

“The circumstances are being investigated.”