As 2024 comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect back on a whirlwind of a year at HECK!
From a brand refresh back and full makeover in February to sustainability and community engagement (and plenty of sausages!), this year has been jam-packed for the team at HECK! and we’ve loved every minute of it. So, here’s a look back at our incredible year!
Sustainability Highlights
This year, sustainability took centre stage at HECK! Here are some of the changes we’ve made:
H.E.C.K. Care Code: Introducing a clear commitment to environmental responsibility.
Solar Panels: 433 solar panels on the roof of our factory now generate 20% of our annual energy at the factory.
Dedicated Sustainability Team: We hired our first full-time sustainability staff member.
Energy Monitoring System: This was installed to track water and energy usage at HECK! HQ.
Clean-Up Initiatives: We hosted 10 litter picks and 5 beach cleans!
Carbon Emissions: We’ve been measuring Scope 1 & 2 emissions annually, with a clear reduction plan and ongoing work on Scope 3.
Employee Electric Car Scheme: Encouraging greener commuting options for our staff.
Eco-Friendly Mail Order Boxes: 100% recyclable, more durable and they use fewer materials.
Plastic Reduction: This year, we cut overall plastic usage by 30% and reduced factory plastic waste to less than 0.5%.
Carbon Labelling: We partnered with CarbonCloud to display carbon labels across our entire product range, empowering consumers to make mindful shopping choices.
The H.E.C.K. Way
This year saw the launch of the H.E.C.K. Way, our framework for making a positive impact through:
Health: Healthier recipes, wellness initiatives for employees, and supporting free-from dietary needs.
Environment: Sustainable practices and projects to minimize our footprint.
Community: Supporting local initiatives, sharing meals, and launching the HECK! Community Fund.
Kindness: We follow high animal welfare standards and collaborated with UK charities.
Supporting the Community
We’ve strengthened ties with our community through:
Great Yorkshire Show Sponsorship: Highlighting local produce and community spirit.
Turf Games Sponsorship: Supporting fitness and teamwork events.
University Collaborations: Partnering with University of York students for sustainability projects.
HECK! Community Bus: We now provide transport to rural North Yorkshire residents to combat isolation. Over 240 people have benefitted from this service so far!
CHECK! Campaign: This year we raised £20k for Cahonas, a testicular cancer charity, through a special packaging redesign and internal health checks.
HECK! Community Fund: Launched in April, this fund has supported over 20 UK causes, including charities, schools and local initiatives.
Awards and Recognitions
We’re proud to celebrate several achievements this year:
Great British Food Awards: HECK! Minted Lamb Burgers won silver at these awards, and HECK! 97% Pork Chipolatas AND HECK! Steak & Butter Meatballs both took home bronze!
Health & Wellbeing Awards: We celebrated a double bronze victory with our “Damn Good Cookbook” and HECK! Simply Chicken Chipolatas.
Great Taste Awards: Stars for Chicken Italia Burgers and Pork & Sriracha Sausage Bombs.
National Egg & Poultry Awards: Mica won Young Processor of the Year!
Great British Business Awards: We were proud to be crowned Business of the Year 2024 for our outstanding community contributions.
Sausages, Sausages and More Sausages!
The year wouldn’t have been complete without some new HECK! goodies to try! Here’s just some of the products, old and new, we brought to your plates:
Lola’s HECK! Honey & Lemon Chicken Sausages
HECK! Paprika Chicken Chipolatas
HECK! Peri Peri Chicken Chipolatas
HECK! Pork & Brown Sauce Sausages
HECK! Pork & Strawberry Sausages
And…did you know we produced 95 million sausages and 2 million burgers, and sampled products to 680,000 people at 160 events this year?
We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished in 2024. From sustainability initiatives to community support, innovative products and industry recognition, this year has been a testament to the hard work and passion of the HECK! family. We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store. Thank you for being part of our journey!
Here’s to another year of delicious, sustainable and community-focused goodness – the HECK! way!
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