INDUSTRY Neal’s Yard Dairy Exposes International Fraud Scheme, Calls for Vigilance

Neal’s Yard Dairy, a leading distributor and retailer of British artisan cheese, has been the victim of a sophisticated fraud resulting in the loss of over £300,000 worth of clothbound Cheddar. The scheme involved a fraudulent buyer posing as a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer, with the cheese delivered before the discovery of the fraudulent identity. Despite the significant financial blow, Neal’s Yard Dairy has honoured its commitment to its small-scale suppliers, having already paid the three artisan cheesemakers in full. The company is now taking steps to address the situation to ensure both its financial stability and the continued development of the British artisan cheese sector.

The stolen cheese comprised a total of over 22 tonnes (950 cheeses) of three artisan Cheddars, including Hafod Welsh Organic Cheddar, Westcombe Cheddar, and Pitchfork Cheddar. The high monetary value of these cheeses likely made them a particular target for the thieves.

The fraud was deceptively convincing, with the perpetrators impersonating a reputable distributor well-known within the European cheese industry who had previously organised large artisan cheese promotions for the French retailer. An elaborate contract was drawn up, outlining detailed payment terms, and conversations with the alleged representative demonstrated a deep understanding of the sector, further lending credibility to the scheme. The complexity of the operation made it difficult to detect the fraud until it was too late.

Neal’s Yard Dairy is currently working with local law enforcement and international authorities to identify the perpetrators of this fraud and bring them to justice. While the cheese may never be recovered, our priority is to share openly what has happened and to prevent it from happening to other businesses.

We urge other small businesses in our sector to exercise extreme caution when dealing with new or unfamiliar customers, even those who appear credible. By sharing our experience, we hope to help protect the wider community of small producers and distributors, and to ensure the continued development of this vital and delicate sector. We hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with industry groups, other distributors, and retailers to establish better safeguards in this area.

We are currently working with law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators of this fraud. In the meantime, we would like to put out a call to everyone within our esteemed community of cheesemongers around the world, who along with us have dedicated much time and effort to putting foods with a real story attached to them on the market. If anyone is offered or receives cheeses they believe may have been associated with this theft, particularly clothbound Cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags detached, please contact info@nealsyarddairy.co.uk so we can support the police in their investigation.