Successful firms being 'squeezed' by Government says Harrogate business that sells to Tesco's
The Harrogate couple behind Britain’s biggest family-run sausage producers have opened up about their fears for the future of smaller firms.
Based in Bedale, the origins of HECK! lie in Harrogate couple Andrew and Debbie Keeble, who founded their first firm The Harrogate Sausage Company nearly 20 years ago.
Despite the award-winning success of HECK!, which is the UK’s only large-scale, family-owned sausage factory, the couple say the Government is “systematically overlooking” small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - warning that current policies are putting jobs, communities and food prices at risk.
“Small and medium-sized businesses like ours are the are the backbone of the British economy yet we keep getting overlooked,” said Andrew Keeble, who founded HECK! with his wife and adult children in 2012.
"It’s us, not the multinationals, who are having to adapt, innovate and do the heavy lifting.”
The outspoken plea from the head of HECK!, a community-orientated business which employs 120 people at its plant near Bedale and supplies Tesco and Sainsbury’s, comes ahead of the Autumn budget and conference season.
HECK! is investing to futureproof its own prospects but, Mr Keeble warned, they cannot fight inflation alone.
"The food industry isn’t just about supermarket shelves,” he said.
"It’s about people, pride and place.
"We are a purpose-led business and invest most of our profits into our people and the community, who supported us in the beginning.
"If the Government is serious about boosting the economy, they need to stop hammering businesses like our’s.”
Despite industry pressures, the Harrogate-owned family firm is doubling the size of its factory in response to record-breaking demand, a rare good news story for Britain’s manufacturing sector.
The company, which has ploughed investment into solar energy and cutting-edge machinery to keep costs down, says spiralling food inflation is being worsened by a perfect storm of rising wages, National Insurance hikes, recycling taxes and red tape.
“We fully support fair pay,” Mr Keeble said “but Government-imposed hikes are squeezing us harder than ever.
" We can ask the public to buy great food but we cannot ask them to pay for inefficiency.”