British chef Jamie Oliver speaking at a panel in Davos, Switzerland, on January 18, 2017. AP Photo
British chef Jamie Oliver has turned detective in a lighthearted yet serious appeal to his social media followers after a large quantity of premium cheddar cheese was stolen. Known for his down-to-earth cooking style, Oliver took to Instagram, urging his 10.5 million followers to help locate 22 metric tons of high-quality cheddar, worth approximately £300,000 ($390,000), that was stolen in an elaborate scam.
Oliver referred to the theft as the “grate cheese robbery” and humorously asked fans to keep an eye out for “lorry loads of very posh cheese.” The cheese in question was stolen from Neal’s Yard Dairy, a renowned British distributor of artisanal cheese. The thief, posing as a legitimate wholesaler for a large French retailer, managed to make off with nearly 1,000 wheels of cheddar before the scam was discovered on October 21. By the time the company realized they had been tricked, the valuable cheese was long gone.
In a video accompanying his post, Oliver playfully warned, “If the deal seems too gouda to be true, it probably is! Let’s find these cheese stealers.” Despite the humour, the chef was keen to highlight the significance of the stolen cheese, which came from three highly respected cheesemakers: Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar, and Pitchfork cheddar.
Cheddar cheese, named after the village in southwest England where it originated, is widely recognized and produced globally. However, Oliver emphasized that true British cheddar is made by only a small number of producers. He explained that the cheeses stolen in this heist are artisanal, cloth-wrapped varieties, considered to be some of the best examples of authentic British cheddar.
The stolen cheese is particularly notable for its quality, and Oliver urged his followers to be cautious if they come across unusually cheap, high-end cheddar being sold under suspicious circumstances. He joked that if anyone hears about “posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns.”
While Oliver's playful approach grabbed attention, the incident has triggered a serious investigation. Detectives from Scotland Yard, along with international authorities, are actively working to track down the thieves and recover the stolen cheddar. Neal’s Yard Dairy has also reached out to cheesemongers around the world, asking them to be on the lookout for the stolen cheese, which was likely packaged in large blocks weighing 10 to 24 kilograms.
Although Oliver's plea added a humorous twist to the story, the theft has left a significant dent in the artisanal cheese industry, and authorities hope that public awareness will lead to the recovery of the stolen goods.
