A mystery scammer who posed as a distributor for a French food retailer has stolen more than £300,000 worth of award-winning cheddar from the London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy.
The company, a well-known distributor and retailer of British artisan cheese, said it is working with UK and international law enforcement agencies to identify the scam’s perpetrators.
Neal’s Yard Dairy said it delivered 22 tonnes of artisan cheddar after being approached by scammers posing as legitimate wholesale distributors for a major French retailer.
The cheese specialists, which have shops in Covent Garden, Islington and London Bridge, delivered the 950 clothbound cheeses to the fraudulent buyers before it was realised they were a fake firm.
“An elaborate contract was drawn up, outlining detailed payment terms, and