In a significant theft incident, Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese specialist company based in Southwark, London, has reported the loss of over twenty-two tonnes of high-value cheddar.

Fraudsters, posing as legitimate wholesalers, deceived the dairy into handing over nine hundred fifty clothbound cheeses, including the award-winning Hafod, Westcombe, and Pitchfork varieties, with an estimated value exceeding three hundred thousand pounds.

The Hafod cheddar, produced near Lampeter in Llangybi, was among the stolen cheeses.

Despite the setback, Neal’s Yard Dairy ensured that individual cheese producers were paid in full to prevent them from bearing financial losses.

Patrick Holden, owner of the farm where Hafod is made, emphasized the trust inherent in the artisan cheese industry, a sentiment echoed by Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy, who highlighted the extensive efforts involved in producing the cheese.

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into the theft.