Sausage producer diversifies into vegan market as global pork prices rocket

North Yorkshire-based sausage making business HECK! has invested £600,000 in new equipment to develop a pure plant based frozen vegan range for Holland Barrett.

The range will be launched into 600 stores, with HECK! explaining it has diversified in response to major changes in global pork production.

Commenting today, at the start of this year’s UK Sausage Week, a spokesman for the company said: “Pork prices have sky rocketed due to swine flu in China. Pork shoulder prices has increased from 1.80 to 2.50 a kilo making a shortage of British pork prices a reality. As a result HECK! are driving growth in other areas of the sausage and burger market, as the pork crisis is likely to be affecting export for at least two years.”

He said the company’s new equipment will mean it can produce the plant based range at its dedicated vegan facility in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire.

In addition to Holland and Barrett, HECK! vegan is now in over 100 stores in Australia and the business has started talking to companies in Canada, US and the Far East. At a recent trade show in Cologne, the firm launched its new frozen range for export.

Jamie Keeble, co-founder of the business, said: “All the big brands such as Beyond Meat and Quorn are cashing in on the vegan market and yet it’s all lab meat, made by men in white coats and test tubes, not people who really love food.

“Quite often vegan food is also full of fat, salt or allergens such as soya, particularly those marketed at children and families. Our plant based range is made by real people and real plants, at our dedicated factory, and what’s more, we have spent a huge amount of time and testing to make sure it tastes amazing.

“We are very much the David to the Goliath, up against the vegan big boys. So much venture capital has gone into the ‘Silicon Valley’ meats, but people are voting with their forks and retailers all over the world can see we are offering a much better proposition. I can really see our plant based vegan being the majority of our business in five years.

“Companies like Tesco are taking a really entrepreneurial approach and have increased our listings massively in the fresh vegan section. Also, the traditional sausage and burger market is in decline so we are continuing to look at ways to diversify and give sausage lovers something different and fun.

“We have ramped up our seasonal  pork new product development and are launching a pork and treacle sausage for bonfire night – Guy Porks. And we are driving new ideas in chicken – a healthy take on a frankfurter – a Chickfurter – which has been launched in Morrisons and we have already had a great response.”

HECK! is using sausage week to encourage consumers to “try something new” and try a vegan or a chicken sausage as part of the diversification push.