Heck pushes for further growth after doubling its production

Food manufacturer Heck has plans to nearly treble turnover inside four years after investing in a £3.5m factory that has doubled its production.

TheBusinessDesk.com visited Heck, near Bedale, to find out how the new premises, which they moved into just six months ago, have enabled the business to continue thriving in a “vibrant” food industry where “quality needs to be high while price competitive to remain a popular and viable product on supermarket shelves,” according to the owners.

Heck reported a turnover of £18m in its last financial year and has a strategy in place to grow to £24.5m this year and to £50m by 2020.

Co-owner Andrew Keeble said: “We have the confidence to push for more next year. We have done a huge amount of analysis and we know where our sales are going to come from.”

Andrew Keeble inside the new factory

The factory is operation from 7am-7pm, 7 days a week, producing between 120 and 140 tonnes a week. Its new premises have allowed the firm to double production and the business has contracts with all the major UK supermarkets.

Keeble said that the firm was in an advantageous position at present, whereby supermarkets have started to drop their ‘premium’ sausage brands from their shelves – paving the way for more market share for Heck.  Keeble said the business currently has 51% of the premium sausage market and the company has sights on that continuing to grow.

“We are dominating the premium sausage market but it’s all about margins in supermarkets. The big five supermarkets are watching the discounters and the discounters are destroying brands. But people want the shopping experience and they want their brands and that’s great for us as a business,” he added.

There are 114 people employed on the new site and it’s a family affair, with husband and wife team  Andrew and Debbie running the business. Three of their grown-up children work for Heck currently and their fourth child is soon to start working for Heck part-time, alongside farming.

After meeting at the age of 17 and going into farming in the region, the couple set up Debbie and Andrew’s. But one day they realised that farming wasn’t going to sustain their growing family and so they set up their first food company – after Andrew had embarked upon a meat course.

From there, they built up a successful sausage business but then decided to sell it in 2002 to JJ Tranfield, which was later taken over by Dutch firm Vion. The couple left the business several years ago.

It was then that they said “What the Heck?” and set up the current thriving sausage company, aimed at a healthy eating market.  Now, employees get the chance to put in ideas to save the business money and one member of the team recently implemented a new haulage idea and saved the firm £340,000.

“We have a fantastic team here now and a great relationship with everyone on site. We have to keep this business innovative, interesting and current,” added Keeble.

More than £2m has been invested in equipment and the company currently reports 0.3% waste and there is an ambition to drop that to zero.

Keeble added: “The technology on site now is fantastic, helping us boost productivity and efficiency.”

All this in the backdrop of a challenging year in the food industry, which Keeble says still excites him to this day.  “It’s been a tough year, there has been a 40% increase in the price of pork alone. We use only specific, high quality ingredients, but we have to keep costs low. We are always working with suppliers to source the best we can. We have to remain competitive.”

He added: “Health is a big thing and we are all about transparency.”

So, where next for Heck? The firm is testing sauerkraut out as a potential product to bring to the market and also wants to break further into the vegetarian market.

The factory plans to open a visitor centre and shop in the spring, with visitors being able to see into the working factory – both to educate and inspire the next generation into the food industry. “People will be able to see what it’s like working here. It’s fascinating; with machines firing off 1,100 sausages in a minute,” added Keeble.

Keeping the business firmly in the family is a key driver for Andrew and Debbie, who are set on passing the business down to future generations.

Keeble added: “You have to be able to adapt to change in this business but the food industry is extremely vibrant. In the UK, we have a great food industry and we should celebrate it more. British consumers are spoilt for choice.”