Bakers Basco has returned to the Isle of Man for the first time in almost two decades, as well as the Isle of Wight, recovering more than 340 pieces of bakery equipment.
The fact-finding visits form part of Bakers Basco’s ongoing strategy to identify and reduce the misuse of its Omega baskets and dollies, ensuring vital equipment remains within the bakery supply chain. The initiative follows the organisation’s increased activity in Northern Ireland, where more regular investigations have significantly improved equipment recovery rates.
The team’s first visit to the Isle of Man in 18 years resulted in the recovery of 253 Omega baskets and seven Omega dollies from unsecured locations. The investigation also highlighted the need for greater awareness of Bakers Basco’s role, with many businesses unfamiliar with the organisation due to the length of time since its previous visit.
Things were a bit better on the Isle of Wight where investigators recovered 81 Omega baskets and one Omega dolly from unauthorised locations, while confirming that the majority of bakery equipment supplied to retailers was being returned to the mainland through the correct channels.
Stacey Brown, Bakers Basco investigations manager, explained that the visits were primarily to understand how equipment is moving around the islands and where improvements can be made.
“It was encouraging to see good practices in many areas, but we also identified equipment being retained outside authorised supply chains,” Brown added. “Returning to the Isle of Man and Isle of Wight after such a long period has provided valuable insight, and, as we’ve successfully demonstrated in Northern Ireland, regular engagement is the most effective way to reduce misuse and improve equipment recovery over time.”
Following the findings, Bakers Basco intends to increase the frequency of visits to the Isle of Man to improve awareness of the organisation and help prevent equipment from leaving the legitimate bakery supply chain.
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