An arrest has been made in the theft of almost 50,000 pounds of award-winning cheddar in London, though it's not clear if the man taken into custody is the big cheese behind the scam. Police say a 63-year-old man was arrested in London on suspicion of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods, the Guardian reports. The man was questioned and released pending further inquiries in the ongoing investigation, reports the BBC. The Neal's Yard Dairy specialist cheese distributor said almost 1,000 wheels of cheese, worth a total of around $390,000, were stolen by a con man posing as a wholesaler for a French distributor.
Earlier this week, celebrity British chef Jamie Oliver urged his followers on Instagram to be on the lookout for "lorry loads of very posh cheese" from the "grate cheese robbery," the AP reports. "If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it's probably some wrong'uns," he said, adding: "Remember, if the deal seems too gouda to be true, it probably is!"
Neal's Yard Dairy says it has honored its payments to the three dairies that provided the artisanal cheese. David Lockwood, a partner in the company, tells the New York Times that the cheese was sent in two shipments in September—but when payment was overdue earlier this month, their "contacts became uncontactable." He says the company went to police when it became clear they had been scammed. He says the company is treating it as a learning experience. "It'd be a great action comedy," he says. "Maybe we can sell the rights and get some of the money back." (More cheese stories.)
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