Wiltshire-based pie producers Eat Square has been told not to refer to its pies as square by a London-based rival.

Eat Square was set up in 2014, with a brand concept twisting the term ‘square meal’ into a square pie.

However, Square Pie, founded in 2001, regarded this as infringing the intellectual property rights of its own rectangular-themed pies and, after receiving no reply to an informal letter it sent, took legal action.

All references to the pies as square has been removed by Eat Square, including from the company website, and the company will find out next month if it can keep the Eat Square name at all.

Alex Joll, founder of Eat Square, said it was a shock when he first received a letter in July telling him of Square Pie’s position. However, he said he would continue producing the square-shaped pies and considered that to be the most important thing.

Square Pies founder Martin Dewey said: “We have absolutely no objection to fellow square-shaped pie-makers and sellers - there are plenty of pie-lovers to go round.

“This dispute centres on the wrongful adoption of our branding and associated language, which misleadingly implies some form of connection with the branding of Square Pie.”