Wolverhampton-based sandwich maker, Authentic Bite has been ordered to pay almost £7,000 in damages and costs for using bread baskets that belonged to Bakers Basco to transport its sandwiches without permission.

The sandwich company had to provide the Wolverhampton County Court with a formal undertaking to stop using the bread baskets.

Evidence against Authentic Bite included a log and an aerial satellite plot showing the movement of Bakers Basco equipment fitted with a tracking device around the defendant’s premises over a 24-day period, from the production line through despatch and then outside to the loading area.

Steve Millward, general manager of Bakers Basco, said: “Our recovery team discovered a sizeable amount of our equipment being used by Authentic Bite through a mix of old-fashioned surveillance and the latest GPS technology.

“It was clear the equipment had been appropriated to transport and store Authentic Bite’s own produce. Our baskets and trolleys are meant for transporting bread and only bread safely, cost-effectively and in an environmentally friendly way. They should not be used without our consent or for any other purpose.”

This is not the first time that Authentic Bite has been caught using Bakers Basco baskets to transport sandwiches without authorisation. It has previously been required to pay £1,400 in damages.

Bakers Basco is a company set up to manage and license a pool of bread baskets and dollies for the use of bakers.

The company introduced GPS technology last year to help in its fight against the theft and abuse of bread baskets from its baker network, and has recently announced the roll-out of new improved tracking devices which have battery lives 10 times as long as the first generation’s. The new GPS trackers will allow the company to track the movements of its equipment even more effectively.

In March, the unauthorised use of bread baskets cost school food supplier Gilmoor Foods Ltd in excess of £6,000.

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