The boss of a family-run sausage maker has accused the government of “systematically overlooking” small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – warning that current policies are putting jobs, communities and food prices at risk.
HECK!, based near Bedale, employs 120 people and supplies major supermarkets including Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Despite pressures across the food industry, the firm is doubling the size of its factory to keep up with record demand.
But co-founder Andrew Keeble, who launched HECK! with his wife and children in 2012, says ministers are failing to recognise the role SMEs play in the economy.
“Small and medium-sized businesses like ours keep getting overlooked. Meanwhile, it’s us, not the multinationals, who are adapting, innovating and doing the heavy lifting,” he said.
HECK! has invested heavily in solar energy and new machinery to drive efficiency, but Keeble said businesses were struggling with a “perfect storm” of rising wages, National Insurance hikes, recycling taxes and red tape.
“We fully support fair pay. 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,” he added.
The Keeble family’s company is a major rural employer, with 120 staff and more than 400 relatives dependent on its success. Across the UK, SMEs generate £2.8 trillion in turnover and employ 16.6 million people.
“This is the sector that matters. It’s not about handouts. It’s about a fair playing field and a government that recognises who’s keeping Britain going,” Keeble said.
HECK! says it is continuing to invest in its people and its community, but ahead of the Autumn Budget, Keeble warned: “The food industry isn’t just about supermarket shelves. It’s about people, pride and place.
“We are a purpose-led business, but if the government is serious about boosting the economy, they need to stop ignoring the real engine of it – small and medium-sized businesses.”
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