Yorkshire sausage firm Heck to launch first bacon range with rollout starting in Tesco stores from Monday

Company co-founder Jamie Keeble told The Yorkshire Post it is hoped that if the Tesco rollout is a success, Heck’s bacon could soon be sold at other supermarkets and retailers.

He said: “We are only launching at Tesco next week. When we launch new products, Tesco is always the first to take it to market. We always say if it works in Tesco, it will tend to work everywhere else. They are our biggest customer.

"It seems like the obvious fit for the brand to move into as well. We have danced around in different categories but have never done bacon. We are really excited and the product looks fantastic on the shelf.

"Bacon has been so private label dominated and we are coming in with a bit of a point of difference. It is made without added nitrate which I think is going to be the next big thing in bacon. I think the whole market will swing that way. There has to be something unique about it for us to go into the market.

"When you dry cure bacon you have to add nitrates to the process. This is wet-cured and a more natural way to season the bacon.

"It makes zero difference to the taste. We wouldn’t launch it unless we thought wasn’t like normal bacon. We think it is fantastic and the buyers love it too. There is something a bit cleaner about it eating it too, which is nice.

"Moving away from being just known for sausages to more of a food company in general is really exciting.

"We are quite unique and the small guys in a big industry. We are very unique to supply Tesco as a brand who own their own factory, who are independent and a family business as well.”

Mr Keeble added: “My parents were farmers turned producers and my granddad and brother still farm the 800 acres around the farm. Farming is still in our DNA as is the community around us, but with HECK! we can bring it all together and look to the future and continue to grow and innovate.”