For decades, the Thomas’ English Muffins have been bragging about the tasty nooks and delicious crannies of its breakfasts breads. They’re such a well-regarded company secret that only seven people at the company know the recipe. And now that one of those dudes is trying to jump ship to Hostess, it’s lawsuit time.

Earlier this year, Thomas’ exec Chris Botticella attempted to leave the company and head over to rival baked goods biz Hostess, but his plans were foiled when Thomas’ parent company, Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo (FYI, the greatest name ever in the history of great names), successfully filed for an injunction forbidding him to work at Hostess until the matter was settled in court.

From Bimbo’s court filing:

Botticella could produce an English muffin that might look a bit different, but that would nevertheless possess the distinctive taste, texture and flavor character that distinguish the Thomas’ English Muffin and that have been the foundation of the product’s success.

Of course, the former Bimbo VP filed an appeal, saying that his confidentiality agreement with Thomas’ only encompassed the time during which he worked for the company, and that he had a right to earn a living.

His attorney put it thusly:

It’s a horrible situation he finds himself in… If the assistant coach of the Philadelphia Eagles moves to the Dallas Cowboys, is he supposed to forget all of the plays that he learned while at the Eagles?

English Muffin-maker guards ‘nooks and crannies’ [Seattle PI]

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