Sandwich firm fined for third time after using another company's baskets

Authentic Bite, based in Wolverhampton, has been slapped with a £6,000 bill in costs and damages to be paid to Bakers Basco after it was again caught using the rival company’s equipment without consent.

It comes on top of two previous offences that resulted in the company having to pay a total of £8,700.

At a hearing in the county court in July last year, Authentic Bite made a formal undertaking – a legally binding promise – not to use Bakers Basco’s baskets and dollies without authorisation.

The sandwich firm already had a track record of taking the bread equipment company’s items to transport its own products from its base to London.

Bakers Basco uses GPS tracking technology, which was able to prove its equipment was being moved around Authentic Bite’s premises.

The latest court hearing, which took place in Walsall last month, heard there had been multiple breaches of the injunction since then as well as allegations that staff at Authentic Bite had been obstructive and provocative towards Bakers Basco workers who were trying to reclaim the property.

Steve Millward, general manager at Bakers Basco, said: “We have no intention of allowing people to repeatedly take our equipment without consent, or trying to obstruct or intimidate our staff when they try to reclaim it.

"In instances like this, we will pursue the matter through the courts. It would have been a lot cheaper if they had just bought their own baskets.”

Authentic Bite did not wish to comment.