PHILADELPHIA — Chris Botticella knows the secret to those “nooks and crannies” in Thomas’ English Muffinsthe way they cradle butter and jam, and after a good toasting, produce just the right crunch.
It’s a secret the muffins’ makers have held for more than 75 years, allowing it to annually rack up $500 million in sales of the toaster treats. The company says only seven executives know all three parts of its winning formula: how much dough to use, the right amount of moisture and the proper way to bake them.
So it sued in January when Botticella, one of the seven, decided to join rival Hostess, maker of Wonder Bread and Twinkies. Hostess doesn’t make English muffins. But that doesn’t matter to the lawyers seeking to protect the trademarked “nooks and crannies” in a U.S. baking industry where four major players duke it out on supermarket shelves. The Associated Press; AP photo
