Having a HECK of a time making sausages

Jamie Keeble is the man behind one of the most recognisable sausage brands in the UK.

HECK products are seen on supermarket shelves up and down the country and, for Jamie, it is a lifelong passion.

By his own admission, he struggled at school, and went to work in the family business making sausages.

In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, recorded in front of a live audience as part of our Inspiring Careers in Food events, we hear all about Jamie’s journey to launching HECK and beyond.

Jamie started on the factory floor, sold sausages at markets, and worked long and hard hours.

He eventually started out on his own, launching HECK, which makes a wide variety of meat and meat-free products.

Listen to the full episode to find out how they managed to secure deals with major retailers, and why Jamie believes flexitarian diets are a key driver for the company’s future growth.

Sign up for the next Inspiring Careers in Food events in 2023

Jamie Keeble, Co-Founder, HECK

Jamie Keeble has been making and selling sausages for as long as he can remember. His parents, who were pork farmers turned producers in Bedale Yorkshire, set up Debbie and Andrews sausages which was one of the first premium brands in the supermarkets.

Leaving school at 18, despite having worked in the business for many years, Jamie went to pursue a professional yachting career. During that time, in 2013, he got a call from his parents to say they were going to set up a brand-new company HECK!, after the sale of Debbie and Andrew’s.

Initially starting on the factory floor making sausages, fast forward to the current times, and as co-founder of HECK, Jamie is in charge of the £30 million turnover’s company sales, working with the retailers to get listings and also develop new products.