22 tonnes of stolen cheese
October 25, 2024 11:41 AM Subscribe
BBC: Hundreds of truckles of cheddar worth more than £300,000 have been stolen from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy. Hundreds of truckles of cheddar worth more than £300,000 have been stolen from London cheese specialist Neal’s Yard Dairy. Guardian: The 950 stolen cheeses were Hafod Welsh organic cheddar, Westcombe cheddar, and Pitchfork cheddar, which have won a number of awards and are among “the most sought-after artisan cheeses in the UK”, Neal’s Yard Dairy said.
TIL that a honking big wheel of cheddar is called a "truckle," and in this case the average weight of one is a bit over 23kg. Which is a fair lot of cheese. About a year's worth, for a person consuming 1#/week, I think.
I wonder if that's why they're that size. The traditional size of a puer tea cake is 357g, and the traditional unit of commerce for them is the tong or stack of 7 cakes in a bundle. Which works out to exactly one year's supply for an addict who goes through 7g/day. There's also the koku, a unit of rice enough for 1000 meals or 1 person's annual subsistence.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 11:51 AM on October 25, 2024 [15 favorites]
I wonder if that's why they're that size. The traditional size of a puer tea cake is 357g, and the traditional unit of commerce for them is the tong or stack of 7 cakes in a bundle. Which works out to exactly one year's supply for an addict who goes through 7g/day. There's also the koku, a unit of rice enough for 1000 meals or 1 person's annual subsistence.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 11:51 AM on October 25, 2024 [15 favorites]
very on brand
posted by chavenet at 11:53 AM on October 25, 2024 [9 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 11:53 AM on October 25, 2024 [9 favorites]
Hot Cheese
posted by mfoight at 12:03 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by mfoight at 12:03 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
truckle!
posted by PikeMatchbox at 12:03 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by PikeMatchbox at 12:03 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Oh man, that's a lot of stock. I hope that the dairy can cover it all and the suppliers can catch up. Although of course it is aged stock.
This history of Neal's Yard and the dairy which is its joint most successful legacy is fantastic, in case you need to know the history of artisan foods in London and indeed most of Britain.
posted by ambrosen at 12:10 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
This history of Neal's Yard and the dairy which is its joint most successful legacy is fantastic, in case you need to know the history of artisan foods in London and indeed most of Britain.
posted by ambrosen at 12:10 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
"hundreds of truckles of cheddar" *glances at FPP author* Wordshore, yep.
posted by supermedusa at 12:14 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 12:14 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
I smell a rat! Or is that... I smell rat? Delicious, delicious rat.
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:14 PM on October 25, 2024
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:14 PM on October 25, 2024
Have you seen this chicken? £1000 reward
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:16 PM on October 25, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:16 PM on October 25, 2024 [5 favorites]
Canadians tend to steal a lot of dairy - recently we had some butter theft locally.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:20 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:20 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
I'm wondering how many truckles in a truckle oad.
posted by moonmilk at 12:24 PM on October 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by moonmilk at 12:24 PM on October 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
Does anybody know where I could find a truckload of Lactaid?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:27 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:27 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
"What are we doing tonight, Pinky?"
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:28 PM on October 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:28 PM on October 25, 2024 [7 favorites]
who doesn't love a good cheese Heist.
posted by clavdivs at 12:47 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 12:47 PM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]
This reminds me of the Bedrock Sandals story from the other day. (Fantastic sandals, btw.) Or the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. It's amazing the stuff people will steal.
posted by slogger at 12:48 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by slogger at 12:48 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
This looks like the work of a skilled cheeseburglar.
The greatest mystery since the kidnapping of the Limburger baby.
It's a dairy heist pulled off by an udderly deranged criminal.
Who gouda been capable of such a theft?
It could not have been a brie-ze.
...
...
(I never apologize for my puns.)
posted by AlSweigart at 12:53 PM on October 25, 2024 [11 favorites]
The greatest mystery since the kidnapping of the Limburger baby.
It's a dairy heist pulled off by an udderly deranged criminal.
Who gouda been capable of such a theft?
It could not have been a brie-ze.
...
...
(I never apologize for my puns.)
posted by AlSweigart at 12:53 PM on October 25, 2024 [11 favorites]
Wait. 300k for 950 cheeses at 23kg is like 14.5£ per kilo which is … $19usd? $26cad? would expect it to be more if it’s really good cheese. Or is cheese not super expensive in the uk. Cheese is super expensive in Canada that’s for sure.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:02 PM on October 25, 2024
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:02 PM on October 25, 2024
Possibly the wholesale value? It's not that cheap for the good stuff.
posted by biffa at 1:08 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by biffa at 1:08 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Geez, that makes this recent Canadian butter heist look like small ... um, potatoes?
Ashwagandha, slogger, I was wondering if said butter heist along with the pilfering of maple syrup meant there was going to be a gigantic Canadian Pancake Party sometime soon.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 1:23 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
Ashwagandha, slogger, I was wondering if said butter heist along with the pilfering of maple syrup meant there was going to be a gigantic Canadian Pancake Party sometime soon.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 1:23 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
But will they get a whey with it?
posted by thivaia at 1:26 PM on October 25, 2024 [20 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 1:26 PM on October 25, 2024 [20 favorites]
Cheese, Grommit!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 1:29 PM on October 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 1:29 PM on October 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
Canadian Pancake Party
anyone got an extra invite?
posted by supermedusa at 1:32 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
anyone got an extra invite?
posted by supermedusa at 1:32 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
The fact that I am presently in the UK is not evidence that I had anything to do with this theft. Kindly disregard the tarpaulin in my hotel room, there is nothing under it of interest.
posted by briank at 1:35 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 1:35 PM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]
"Westcombe Dairy's maturing cave is equipped with cheddar-turning robot, nicknamed Tina the Turner"
Thank you, BBC.
posted by hanov3r at 2:24 PM on October 25, 2024 [5 favorites]
Thank you, BBC.
posted by hanov3r at 2:24 PM on October 25, 2024 [5 favorites]
Saw another item about a bunch of butter heists in the US. Could be an international bechamel ring?
posted by toodleydoodley at 2:50 PM on October 25, 2024
posted by toodleydoodley at 2:50 PM on October 25, 2024
First rule of stealing cheese: If you see any coppers, just rennet.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:12 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:12 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
I can't wait to see the movie.
posted by MtDewd at 4:00 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by MtDewd at 4:00 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
So you’re saying they don’t know who moved their cheese. Interesting.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:17 PM on October 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:17 PM on October 25, 2024 [4 favorites]
In my country we have an ethnic slur from Dutch aimed at the English and their love of cheese.
One that we wound up adopting.
posted by ocschwar at 4:52 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
One that we wound up adopting.
posted by ocschwar at 4:52 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
About a year's worth, for a person consuming 1#/week
Pfft! 1#/week? Do you even like cheese?
posted by aubilenon at 7:56 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
Pfft! 1#/week? Do you even like cheese?
posted by aubilenon at 7:56 PM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]
[Michael Caine voice] you were only supposed to blow the bloody Dorset off!
posted by cortex at 8:33 PM on October 25, 2024
posted by cortex at 8:33 PM on October 25, 2024
Police are looking for the owner of a 25,000 litre fondue pot
posted by Phanx at 12:45 AM on October 26, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 12:45 AM on October 26, 2024 [3 favorites]
I'd have thought that artisanal cheese is not the easiest thing to fence. What are they going to do, sell truckles out of a pub car park?
posted by GeorgeBickham at 1:53 AM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by GeorgeBickham at 1:53 AM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
Ashwagandha, slogger, I was wondering if said butter heist along with the pilfering of maple syrup meant there was going to be a gigantic Canadian Pancake Party sometime soon.
Pancake breakfast! At the parish of St. Alfonzo!
posted by TedW at 12:16 PM on October 26, 2024
Pancake breakfast! At the parish of St. Alfonzo!
posted by TedW at 12:16 PM on October 26, 2024
It’s the cleanest dairy in the district now; certainly uncontaminated by cheese!
posted by TedW at 12:18 PM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by TedW at 12:18 PM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
Like, I totally get it. If I wanted to take up a life of crime, I’m fairly certain that cheese theft would be my starting point, maybe even my desired specialty.
Supermedusa, I did the same thing—saw the headline and immediately checked to see if the poster might be Wordshore!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 12:29 PM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
Supermedusa, I did the same thing—saw the headline and immediately checked to see if the poster might be Wordshore!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 12:29 PM on October 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
That Pitchfork cheddar does look pretty tempting . Stand up of them to not hesitate in paying the dairies.
Where do you fence that much artisanal cheese? Is it being flown out to cater some oligarch's yacht party as we speak?
posted by lucidium at 1:28 PM on October 26, 2024
Where do you fence that much artisanal cheese? Is it being flown out to cater some oligarch's yacht party as we speak?
posted by lucidium at 1:28 PM on October 26, 2024
Jamie Oliver asks cheese lovers to help catch thieves behind £300,000 cheddar scam.
posted by Wordshore at 12:03 AM on October 27, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 12:03 AM on October 27, 2024 [2 favorites]
Just saw this on MSN, thought of Wordshore, already posted. The efficiency! So impressive.
posted by theora55 at 6:07 AM on October 28, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 6:07 AM on October 28, 2024 [2 favorites]
a gigantic Canadian Pancake Party
There's better things to do with Maple Syrup and Butter than pancakes (tho if you make ployes I might change my mind).
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:01 AM on October 28, 2024
There's better things to do with Maple Syrup and Butter than pancakes (tho if you make ployes I might change my mind).
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:01 AM on October 28, 2024
Wait. 300k for 950 cheeses at 23kg is like 14.5£ per kilo which is … $19usd? $26cad? would expect it to be more if it’s really good cheese. Or is cheese not super expensive in the uk.
I think there must be economies of scale going on with that costing, or else they're not talking about the price to the consumer.
If you buy directly from the source, Westcombe Cheddar is £26 if you buy a whole kilo. A 250g portion is £7.
Neal's Yard charge a little more for it (£7.15 for the 250g portion, and no discount for buying a larger quantity, so £28.60 per kilo).
My go-to supermarket cheddar - fancy own-brand from an upmarket supermarket - costs me £5 for 300g. But there's also a 500g portion for £7.50, which a more sensible person would probably favour. So let's say £15 per kilo.
A more ordinary supermarket extra-mature cheddar - non-fancy own-brand from a non-fancy supermarket - is £3 for 400g, so £7.50 per kilo.
... and I do know that cheddar can also be bought younger, but - why would you do that to yourself?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:20 AM on October 28, 2024 [2 favorites]
I think there must be economies of scale going on with that costing, or else they're not talking about the price to the consumer.
If you buy directly from the source, Westcombe Cheddar is £26 if you buy a whole kilo. A 250g portion is £7.
Neal's Yard charge a little more for it (£7.15 for the 250g portion, and no discount for buying a larger quantity, so £28.60 per kilo).
My go-to supermarket cheddar - fancy own-brand from an upmarket supermarket - costs me £5 for 300g. But there's also a 500g portion for £7.50, which a more sensible person would probably favour. So let's say £15 per kilo.
A more ordinary supermarket extra-mature cheddar - non-fancy own-brand from a non-fancy supermarket - is £3 for 400g, so £7.50 per kilo.
... and I do know that cheddar can also be bought younger, but - why would you do that to yourself?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:20 AM on October 28, 2024 [2 favorites]
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