On November 8th we learnt of the news that £30,000 or 100 complete wheels of Comte had been stolen from Napiot Dairy, Goux-les-Usiers region in Eastern France. But it’s only cheese right? Wrong! You imagine something that you have made from cow to cheese and then somebody whips it away from you, I think you might be a bit upset. It is some feet thought to take the equivalent in weight of four tonnes!
To put that into context that is as near as possible to the weight of 2 Porsche Panameras!
The Police in charged of the investigating & finding the criminals has nicknamed them ‘Meules’ or ‘Milestone Gang’. This refers to the flat circular wheels in which Comte is produced, but unfortunately this isn’t the first time this gang has struck. In recent months there have been several incidents but the Cheese Makers did not want to make it public knowledge. Cheese producers & Dairies have opted for CCTV & Motion Sensor devices to prevent thefts in the future. The Gang will also encounter difficulty in selling the cheese explains Claude Vermot-Desroches, head of the cheese’s trade body Comité Interprofessionnel de Gestion du Comté “It would be hard to sell the stolen cheese to legitimate retailers, so much must be making its way onto a black market. Shops are obliged to keep documentation showing the provenance, quality of cheeses and certificates of sale. There must be an illicit distribution network.”
Cheese is a very sought after food item and is the most stolen food in the world because of its re-sellable value, but it should be enjoyed without being stolen. More now than ever please support the Napiot dairy by purchasing some of their delicious cheese online here at Napiot and help rebuild their loss.
The Cheesy1
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