North Yorkshire schools food supplier, Gilmoor Foods Limited, has been made the subject of a restraining injunction to stop it using bread baskets to put meat in.
GPS tracking technology, deployed by Bakers Basco, assisted with the investigation, leading to the Harrogate-based food wholesaler being sued over the conversion and misuse of the bakery equipment.
The case has resulted in costs and damages in excess of £6,000 being imposed against it, alongside the injunction for an indefinite period. The Judge ruled in support of Bakers Basco over the misappropriation of the equipment.
The company was found to be misusing bakery baskets for the storage and transportation of its meat products to Gilmoor Foods customers. Gilmoor’s customers include a number of local primary and secondary schools within the Yorkshire area as part of a large contract with the local council.
“Our recovery team tracked a sizeable amount of our equipment to Gilmoor Foods, using GPS technology,” explained Steve Millward, General Manager, Bakers Basco. “Gilmoor Foods had previously signed a voluntary agreement in November 2015 to refrain from using misappropriated equipment, for the display, storage or transportation of meat.
“They paid a concessionary sum in damages, levied as a goodwill gesture on our behalf. However, our recovery officers found further evidence of unauthorised bread basket use in December. What’s more, it was clear they had been used to transport and store Gilmoor’s own produce.”
Together with additional recovered damages relating to an earlier incident the amount paid by Gilmoor Foods was in excess of £7,000.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to bread basket abuse to protect the future of our industry,” added Millward. “This is something that we are 100% committed to and our teams won’t stop until bread basket misuse is combated once and for all.”
Originally posted Food Service Equipment Journal 15 March 2016