Thomas' English Muffins Doesn't Want Hostess All Up in Its Nooks and Crannies
High-level espionage has hit the baked-goods world: The owners of Thomas' English Muffins are suing a former executive to prevent him from sharing the secrets to the muffins' "nooks and crannies" with rival Hostess. 
iStockphoto/juanmonino Mmm, nooks and crannies.
According to the AP, there are but seven executives who know the exact formula that causes the English muffins to develop their nooks and crannies (which, not incidentally, are trademarked). One of those executives, Chris Botticella, was hired by Hostess, and according to the lawsuit, hid his hiring for months while attending high-level meetings with Bimbo Bakeries, the company that owns Thomas'. The topic of those meetings? Strategies for competing with Hostess.
A U.S. District Judge issued an injunction in February barring Botticella from taking the Hostess gig until the lawsuit is settled. Whether it's too late to prevent Hostess from harnessing the power to make their own muffin that toasts up crunchy on the inside while remaining fluffy on the inside remains to be seen. But there's a lot at stake in those nooks and crannies: Thomas', which has been making the muffins for 75 years, sells $500 million of them annually. Stay tuned for a Spy vs. Spy battle to the death between Betty Crocker and Sara Lee ...
[Via The Food Section]
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