Neal’s Yard’s stolen cheese could be sold abroad, supplier says

Fraudsters posing as legitimate wholesalers received the 22 tonnes of clothbound cheeses from the Southwark-based company before it was realised they were a fake firm.

The high-value, award-winning cheeses, which also include Westcombe and Pitchfork, are sold for as much as £45 per kg.

At the time the order was made, Neal’s Yard believed it had come from an agent for a French supermarket, Mr Holden told Radio 4’s Today programme.

But after it was delivered to a warehouse on the outskirts of London, the invoice was not paid.

Confirming that the cheese had already been removed from the warehouse, Mr Holden told the programme: “It’s been speculated that it’s gone to Russia or the Middle East or somewhere like that. We just don’t know.”