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Mr Bailey and Sylvester Williams also claim that Mr Levi cut them out of a valid contract to launch the sauce together and are seeking more than £600,000. Mr Roots claims that any contractual arrangements between himself and Mr Bailey and Mr Williams had eneded before his appearance on Dragon's Den.
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'On the bottle of sauce, it says "Our family in Jamaica have been blending home-made jerk sauce since way back, and for years it's been the taste of London's Notting Hill Carnival." Is that true?'With what sounds like commendable honesty Mr Roots replied:
'No, that's not true. It's a marketing ploy. When I was trying to market the sauce, I thought of every conceivable way that I was connected with music and the Notting Hill Carnival. I cooked all that in a bag together and tried my best to make a story about it.'On the issue of whether the Reggae Reggae Sauce was made from his grandmother's recipe, Mr Levi also admitted that this was also untrue:
'My way of trying to market the sauce when I started out was to put in all my experience with people in my life and my family. I was trying to create the flavour that my grandmother used to cook for me'.The hearing continues.
Meanwhile, the IPKat recalls that this is not the first time a recipe has sought to be protected as confidential information/trade secrets, occasionally giving rise to potential myths. He has heard that the original copy of the formula for Coca-Cola is held in the SunTrust Bank's main vault in Atlanta in the United States and that only two executives have access to it. As to the recipe of 11 herbs and spices used by Kentucky Fried Chicken in preparation of their chicken, the IPKat has also heard that portions of the secret spice mix are made at different locations in the United States and the only complete, handwritten copy of the recipe is kept in a vault in corporate headquarters. Are there any others?
Regardless of the outcome of the actions for breach of confidence and breach of contract, Merpel wonders what the Advertising Standards Authority will make of Mr Roots' revelations in court. Will Reggae Reggae be facing the music by getting into trouble under the UK's Committee of Advertising Practice, the CAP code?
Reggae CAPs here
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Interesting line of defence. I candidly admit that I lied in many ways, so you should believe me when I say that I didn't steal the recipe.
ReplyDelete"I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot his deputy, no, no.."
According to Jamie Oliver in his programme last week, the recipe for Lea & Perrins' Worcestershire Sauce is another closely guarded secret. The company's website states, "only a privileged few know the exact ingredients".
ReplyDeleteThe exact ingredients of Worcestershire Sauce may not be known, but we know they put anchovies in it. Which is why Henderson's Relish will always be nicer. http://www.hendersonsrelish.com/
ReplyDeleteThe appeal has also now been reported:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1469.html
No joy for the claimants though.