CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver has told the public to watch out for "lorryloads of posh cheese" being sold "for cheap" after 22 tones of cheddar were stolen.

Neal’s Yard Dairy, a London-based manufacturer, said it delivered more than 950 wheels of cheddar to the alleged fraudster posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer before realising what had happened.

Westcombe Dairy in Westcombe, near Shepton Mallet, and Trethowan’s Dairy in Weston-super-Mare were two of the three cheese producers affected. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver)

Tom Calver, director of Westcombe Dairy in Westcombe, Somerset, produced some of the stolen cheese and said he was "hugely distressed" to hear the news of the "great big cheese heist".

Mr Calver’s Westcombe Cheddar is aged for 12 to 18 months and he said the stolen cheese was produced 15 months ago.

He said: "What worries me is the trust element in things. At the end of the day what we need to have is more trust in the food supply system, rather than less of it.

In a post on Instagram, Mr Oliver told his 10.5 million followers: "There has been a great cheese robbery. Some of the best cheddar cheese in the world has been stolen."

He described it as a "real shame", adding: "If anyone hears anything about posh cheese going for cheap, it’s probably some wrong’uns.

"So if anyone hears anything about lorryloads of posh cheese, I mean I don’t know what they are going to do with it, really.

"Are they going to unpeel it from the cloth, and cut it and grate it and get rid of it in the fast food industry, in the commercial industry? I don’t know – it feels like a really weird thing to nick."

Neal’s Yard confirmed it still paid the cheese producers, Westcombe, Pitchfork, and Hafod, produced in Ceredigion, West Wales, so they would not have to bear the cost "despite the significant financial blow."

Mr Calver said it took him half a day to sell one Westcombe cheese at a market this weekend, adding: "It is ridiculous – out of all the things to steal in the world – 22 tonnes of cheese?

"What it does show, which I am amazed about, is the value people put on these amazing artisan foods."

Mr Calver, whose Westcombe cheddar sells for £7 for 250g, said: "I hope more people will want to know where their food comes from."

"What we are doing is we have two herds of cows. We are farming in a regenerative way trying to work alongside nature rather than against it," he said.

"We are going for quality and trying to create a flavour of a specific place and moment in time."

In a statement posted on its Instagram page, Neal’s Yard also said: "To everyone who has rallied to support us in the last few days – thank you.

"Since sharing the news of our theft, we have received an overwhelming number of calls, messages and visits. We are truly touched that so many people in the artisan cheese community and beyond are standing with us. It’s a reminder of why we love the work we do.

"Many of you have asked how you can help. To that, we say: continue to support British and Irish cheese. Hafod, Pitchfork and Westcombe are special examples of farmhouse cheddar. Eat them. Celebrate them.

"We will be here, championing British and Irish cheese, for a long time to come."

The cheese manufacturer previously confirmed it is working with police to identify the perpetrators.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "On Monday October 21 we received a report of the theft of a large quantity of cheese from a manufacturer based in Southwark.

"Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances."

Police said no arrests have been made related to the alleged theft.

Neal’s Yard Dairy called out to cheesemongers around the world to contact them if they suspect they have been sold the stolen cheese, particularly clothbound cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached.