When news broke a few weeks ago that a scammer — allegedly in France — had absconded with £300,000 ($385,000) worth of top-grade British cheddar, I made sure I had my alibis.
I love locally made cheddar, but my favorite domestic cheeses are the soft cow’s milk St. Cera from Suffolk, the goat’s milk Brightwell Ash from South Oxfordshire and the blue Stichelton from Nottinghamshire, a nonpasteurized stilton. And my French would never have fooled any European food professional; it goes only as far as restaurant menus (with English subtitles). I do have the benefit of not suffering from the lactose intolerance that deprives many East Asians (and a third of my extended family) of the incredible pleasures of milk and cream. But, even though I just moved into a bigger flat, there isn’t enough room for what news reports say was 22 tons of missing cheese. No one knows where the loot is (speculation is Russia or the Middle East).
The BBC reported last week that police had taken one person in for questioning who was about my age, but younger. So I’m in the clear.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.