Randy Chandler
In a world where cheese is a highly prized and sought-after commodity, theft is always a risk. In London, nearly 1,000 wheels of high-end, award-winning cheddar cheese were stolen from Neal's Yard Dairy in a heist dubbed The Grate Cheese Robbery. This sparked outrage across the dairy industry, with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver calling for help to track down the fraudsters. The cheese, valued at $390,000, was swindled by a culprit posing as a French buyer. This incident highlights the value and desirability of cheese, a fact that is also reflected in the existence of a board game called Who Stole My Cheese? and a story with the same title.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Neal's Yard Dairy, London |
| Type of Cheese | Cheddar |
| Amount Stolen | 950 wheels, 22 tonnes, 48,488 pounds or 400,000 dollars' worth |
| Format | 10kg or 24kg wheels with tags removed |
| Suspects | A gang of fraudsters posing as a legitimate wholesale distributor for a major French retailer |
| Status | A 63-year-old man has been arrested |
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What You'll Learn
Rats stealing cheese
Rats have a notorious reputation for stealing food, especially cheese. In popular culture, rats are often depicted as sneaky and cunning creatures with a penchant for cheese. This image has been perpetuated by cartoons and children's stories, such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Jerry, the mischievous mouse from the Tom and Jerry cartoons.
In reality, rats are opportunistic feeders and highly adaptable creatures. They are attracted to a variety of foods, including cheese, and will take advantage of easily accessible food sources. Rats have a strong sense of smell and can detect food from a distance, making them efficient foragers.
The internet is filled with anecdotes and stories of rats stealing cheese. One such story is titled "The Rat who stole my cheese," where the author narrates their encounter with a rat in their home and the subsequent attempts to catch it. The rat outsmarts the author and their family multiple times, showcasing the cunning nature often associated with these rodents.
Another story, inspired by Spencer Johnson's book "Who Moved My Cheese?", features a character named Bob, who lives in a maze-like house with his prized collection of gourmet cheeses. Two rats, Sniff and Scurry, plot a cheese heist, intending to steal Bob's Limburger cheese. Sniff, the strategist, and Scurry, the reckless sidekick, make the perfect team for this dark mission.
While these stories are entertaining, they also highlight the very real problem of rat infestations and the challenges of pest control. Rats can be persistent and difficult to get rid of, requiring a combination of traps, pest control specialists, and deterrents to effectively manage the problem.
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The Grate Cheese Robbery
The cheese producer suffered a significant financial blow from the scam, as they had already paid the cheese makers for the full order. The scam has also had a wider impact on the artisanal cheese market, with the amount stolen equalling the entire annual production of Hafod cheese. Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy, one of the affected cheese producers, expressed his dismay at the theft, noting the hard work and dedication that goes into crafting the best possible cheese.
In response to the scam, Neal's Yard Dairy has been working closely with law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators. They have also reached out to the wider cheese community, asking anyone who encounters the stolen cheese, particularly clothbound cheddars in 10kg or 24kg formats with detached tags, to contact them. Chef Jamie Oliver has lent his support by sharing the scam to his 10.5 million Instagram followers, urging anyone with information to come forward.
The scam has sparked outrage across the dairy industry, and there are fears that the scammers remain at large. However, authorities have made progress in their investigations, with a 63-year-old man arrested in connection with the theft. The arrest brings some hope for justice in the case of The Grate Cheese Robbery, and the public remains vigilant in their efforts to recover the stolen cheese.
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Cheese fraudsters
The theft of cheese is not unheard of, and in some cases, the value of the stolen cheese can be quite high. In 2024, a gang of cheese fraudsters stole £300,000 worth of premium cheddar from Neal's Yard Dairy in London. The scam, dubbed "The Grate Cheese Robbery" by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, involved the fraudsters posing as a legitimate wholesale distributor and ordering 950 uncut cheese wheels. This amount of cheese weighed over 20 tons and was one of the largest cheese thefts in history.
While the scam was sophisticated, it was not without its flaws. The cheese fraudsters had to remove the tags from the cheese wheels, which created an opportunity for people to identify the stolen cheese. Neal's Yard Dairy asked cheese lovers to contact them if they came across clothbound cheddars in a 10kg or 24kg format with the tags removed. They also noted that the cheese could be kept for up to 18 months if stored at the right temperature and conditions, so people should be on the lookout for anyone selling large amounts of cheese cheaply.
This was not an isolated incident. In the same year, authorities in the UK were on the hunt for a thief who stole 48,000 pounds of high-end cheese from a London cheese store. The cheese was described as high-end and premium, and the value of the theft was estimated to be $400,000. This incident also involved a scam, with the thief posing as a French buyer to carry out the theft.
These incidents highlight the value of cheese and how it can be a target for thieves and scammers. While it may seem unusual to steal such a large amount of cheese, it is a serious crime that can have significant financial implications for the victims.
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Who Moved My Cheese?
Sniff and Scurry make the perfect team. Sniff, the cunning strategist, is always on the lookout for opportunities, while Scurry, his loyal sidekick, is quick to act and reckless. Together, they scout out Bob's treasure trove of cheese, ready to carry out their dark agenda.
As Bob ponders the nature of success and happiness, unaware of the looming threat, the rats execute their plan. They steal his prized Limburger cheese, a variety created with the same bacteria as human foot odor. The story takes a dark turn as Bob, realizing the theft, takes cruel revenge on the rats. He cooks them and feeds them to his cat, satisfied with his sense of justice.
The story concludes with a sense of foreboding as Bob, now paranoid, resumes his cheese collection. It serves as a metaphor for the rat race of life, where one must adapt and protect their interests.
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A board game for detectives
Inspired by Spencer Johnson's book, "Who Moved My Cheese?", this board game is designed for aspiring detectives to put their skills to the test. In the game, players step into the role of detectives in the cheese-centric world of Bob, a cheese aficionado who lives in a maze-like house with his prized collection of gourmet cheeses. Unfortunately for Bob, his house is infested with rats, and two crafty ones, Sniff and Scurry, have their eyes on his cheese. It's up to the detectives to stop them and ensure Bob's collection remains intact.
Game Setup:
The game board is designed to resemble Bob's maze-like house, with various rooms and corridors creating a path to the cheese treasure. At the start of the game, players place their detective tokens at the entrance of the maze and prepare to embark on their investigation.
Gameplay Mechanics:
Each player has a set of action cards that allow them to move around the board, gather clues, and make deductions. On their turn, a player draws a card from the action deck and chooses one of the following options:
- Investigate: Move your token to a room and roll the investigation die to uncover clues left by Sniff and Scurry. These clues could be cheese crumbs, tiny footprints, or even pieces of stolen cheese that the rats have dropped.
- Analyze Clues: Spend time in the laboratory analyzing the collected clues. Different clues provide different advantages, such as moving ahead on the board, gaining bonus action points, or identifying the rats' next target.
- Set a Trap: Based on the analyzed clues, players can set traps in specific rooms to catch the rats red-handed. This involves strategically placing trap tokens on the board and waiting for the rats to trigger them.
- Make an Arrest: If a player suspects they know which room the rats are targeting next, they can attempt to make an arrest by moving their token to that room and rolling the arrest die. A successful arrest means capturing the rats and winning the game.
Winning Conditions:
The game offers two paths to victory:
- Completing the Puzzle: By skillfully gathering and analyzing clues, a player may piece together the rats' plan and identify their next target. If a player can predict the rats' next move and successfully capture them, they win the game.
- Collecting Cheese Tokens: Throughout the game, players collect cheese tokens by landing on specific spaces or as rewards for analyzing clues. The first player to collect a complete set of cheese tokens representing Bob's collection wins the game, saving the day before the rats can strike again.
Cooperative Variant:
For a collaborative gameplay experience, players can choose to work together as a team of detectives. In this variant, players must communicate and combine their clues to devise a strategy to catch the rats. The game is won when the team successfully captures Sniff and Scurry before they can steal a significant portion of Bob's cheese collection.
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Frequently asked questions
A gang of cheese fraudsters stole $400,000 worth of cheddar cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy in London.
Nearly 1,000 wheels of cheese, weighing more than 20 tons, were stolen.
The thieves posed as French buyers and legitimate wholesale distributors to scam Neal's Yard Dairy.
Neal's Yard Dairy noted that it was working with law enforcement authorities to identify the perpetrators. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver also helped appeal for more information by sharing the scam to his Instagram followers.
