Heck Food, a UK-based sausage manufacturer, has invested GBP1.5m (US$1.9m) across its two production sites in North Yorkshire as the company prepares to enter new export markets.
The majority of the funds – GBP1m – has been injected into Heck’s pork and poultry facility located in the village of Kirklington in North Yorkshire to add a new robotics-driven production line for chicken products. The other plant in Sinderby, which produces the company’s vegan line of sausages, was the recipient of the remaining GBP500,000 for new equipment, building on another GBP600,000 previously invested in a freezing unit to support exports.
A spokesperson for Heck confirmed to just-food the company exports to Australia, Germany and Holland, as well as supplying the local UK market. However, over the next three months Heck plans to expand into the Middle East, Asia, the US and further afield into Europe, supported by the new investment in the two factories.
Co-founder and sales director Jamie Keeble said in a statement that its vegan products will account for 30% of the business by year-end.
He added: “We are literally taking Heck round the world to the Middle and Far East, the US and across Europe, hence the GBP500,000 investment into new equipment, making production more efficient.
“We are also seeing real growth in the ‘Megan’ market – flexitarian – as people look at introducing more plant-based food into their diet and also different types of meat, such as chicken. We now sell more chicken than pork sausages and the new robotic chicken line will increase production capacity and enable us to produce over one million sausages a day.”
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