FAQ's

Nutrition & Allergy Advice

Are all HECK sausages gluten-free?

Yes, the full range of HECK products are gluten-free! Always have been, always will be. 

What about dairy?

Products containing diary include the Chicken Italia range and the Pork Italia Sausages. These recipes use mozzarella. Our Pork & Wensledale Cocktail Sausages also have cheese in their recipe. Everything else made by HECK is totally gluten-free and dairy free. 

Do any HECK products contain soya?

No. All our products are soya-free including our Meat-Free Sausages which were previously made using soya.

I have other allergies, how do I find out about these?

On each product page on our website you will find full nutritional details and ingredient lists. Allergies are highlighted in bold. If your question isn't answered there, then Get In Touch with us.

Which of your products are vegan?

Our Meat-free Chipololatas are all suitable for those following a vegan or vegetarian diet. We have more vegan products in the pipeline so keep your eyes peeled!

Why do you use sulphites?

We use sulphites in all our products. This is so that they can have a longer shelf life and therefore reduces food waste. 

What are our sausages filled into?

Our pork sausages are filled into beef collagen casings and all chicken have an alginate casing which is seaweed-based. Our meat-free sausages have also got an alginate casing. Our burgers are skinless.  

What ingredients do you use in your vegan products?

All our vegan products are plant based. They are made from vegetables, seeds and pulses and some contain soya - these ingredients vary from each individual product. We use a Calcium Alginate casing which is a seaweed-based casing. 

Do any of your products contain nuts?

No, we’re a completely nut-free premises.

Are your meat products free-range or organic?

Our pork and chicken are not free-range or organic. The pork that comes into our production process is a mixture of outdoor and indoor bred pork. We only source British meat to make all of our products. This includes British pork, British chicken breast & British chicken thigh. We buy British because we believe British farming has the highest standards of husbandry.

Before we started making our own sausages, we were pig farmers for 20 years, so we know that it is a good farmer that determines a happy animal, not the farming system. We only buy from farms that put the welfare of the animals first, ensuring that they are happy healthy pigs & chickens. The chicken we source is all barn reared. Pigs actually don’t like running around outside in the middle of winter (after all they don’t have much hair on their backs). They prefer to be inside. If the farming system had a name it would probably be called “common sense” farming. 

In the UK, about 60% of pork comes from indoor reared and 40% from outdoor. Because we don't specify outdoor or organic pork, we have a mixture in our sausages. 

British Welfare standards are set out by the Department ofEnvironment and Agriculture (DEFRA) and are legally binding. The standards were developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council and known as the Five Freedoms.These form a logical basis for assessing animal welfare within any husbandry system, together with the actions necessary to safe guard animal welfare. The Five Freedoms are:

 

Freedom from hunger and thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and energy; Freedom from discomfort, by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area; Freedom from pain injury or disease, by prevention or by rapid diagnosis and treatment; Freedom to express most normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animals own kind and Freedom from fear and distress, by ensuring conditions and treatment to avoid mental suffering. Full detail's on the government code is below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69369/pb7950-pig-code-030228.pdf

 

In pig farming, some pigs have their tails docked because of welfare reasons. This must be carried out by either a vet or a trained person in the most humane and pain freeway. The Real Welfare report estimates that 70% of UK pigs have their tails docked. As farmers ourselves, we know that it is necessary sometimes to dock tails, but only by a trained vet after an expert assessment.

 

As an extra layer of transparency, we believe you can also see for yourselves the farms which have a high level of husbandry, with good stock men and women who understand the animal’s needs, whether it's chickens or pigs. We also have a programme of visits to our farmers and meat processors, so we can guarantee for ourselves the standards of husbandry, based on our own experience and the British standard. Our supply is completely transparent to us and via our suppliers we know exactly where our meat comes from. And we take that ethos right through to our factory. Very soon you'll be able to visit us at Heck HQ when our visitor centre is built to see for yourselves how Heck Food is made. We are also working with retailers, government bodies and organisations such as Compassion in WorldFarming, to ensure the most transparent labelling information possible in order for customers to make informed choices when they are buying our food.

What does our packaging mean: The pig or chicken on the front signifies whether it's a chicken or pork sausage. The farm represents the fact that our factory is built on our family's old farm.The British flag is to signify we buy British as standard as we believe that British is the highest standard of husbandry.

If you have any more questions about pork production and husbandry, please email Debbie Keeble direct on debbie@heckfood.co.uk

Delivery of online orders

When will my order arrive?

You choose a suitable delivery date when you place your order. We offer deliveries on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

What are the delivery charges?

Deliveries for the UK Mainland:

Delivery is free with the purchase of any bundle and any basket over £29.99.

The Republic Of Ireland:

Deliveries to the Republic of Irleand are still suspended. Any orders placed will be fully refunded.

We're trying our best to work with the couriers to have this service back up and running soon. We will keep everyone updated via our social media channels and our website.

HECK! products are widely available in a range of supermarkets, so have a look on our stockist finder to find the nearest store in your area.

How are HECK! products packaged for delivery?

We send our bangers, burgers, balls and mince out in insulated boxes so that the food is kept nice and cool. The outer box is made from fully recyclable cardboard and comes with an insulated bag inside. We add ice packs to each order to ensure the contents is kept at a safe temperature on its journey to you.

Do the sausages I buy from your online shop arrive fresh or frozen?

All of our products arrive fresh, but are suitable for home freezing.

The our products will have a minimum of 5 days shelf life when delivered.

There were some items missing from my order, what should I do?

Firstly, we’re really sorry that we made a mistake, so let us help fix that. Please contact sausages@heckfood.co.uk - we will either offer a refund for the missing packs or send out some repacement products.

Who delivers the parcels?

We use DHL to deliver our parcels. They aim to deliver to you between the hours of 8am-6pm. Busy periods may affect these delivery hours, but you should be able to track your parcel if you give us your email address and phone number when you order.

If you have any additional delivery instructions or have a specified safe place, please add this information into the box provided when you place your order. The couriers will only leave your parcel in a safe place if you've provided this information.

Can I track my parcel?

You will be able to track your order if you give us your email address and/or your phone number when you place your order. Once the courier has your parcel, they will keep you updated with it's progress.

Why don’t you deliver to my postcode area?

HECK products are perishable goods, so they need to be kept very cool. Although our packaging is designed to keep the products cool for 48 hours, unfortunately it can take our courier more than 48 hours to reach some postcodes and areas. We certainly wouldn’t want anyone to have a warm delivery of bangers - yuck!

Due to ferry crossing issues, we still can’t deliver to the following Scottish postcodes: ZE and HS. Other postcodes which can't be reached are KW15 - 17, TR21 - 25, PH42 - 44 and PA 42 - 78. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer mail order services to the following areas: Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man, Orkney, Shetland, Outer Hebrides & Inner Hebrides too.

Storage & Cooking

Can I freeze HECK products?

Yes, you can freeze all our products on day of purchase! Bulk buy for the freezer so that you never run out! 

Can your fresh products be cooked from frozen?

PLEASE DEFROST OUR PRODUCTS FULLY BEFORE COOKING IF YOU PURCHASED HECK PRODUCTS FRESH, AND THEN PUT THEM IN YOUR FREEZER.

DO NO REFREEZE ONCE DEFROSTED.

Please ensure all products are piping hot throughout before consuming.

How long can your fresh products be frozen for?

With everyone’s freezer being different, it varies. Our packaging advises up to a month, however we have had them in the freezer for longer and this hasn’t compromised the quality - but please use your own judgement here.

What's the best way to cook HECK products?

You can grill, fry, air-fry, saute, barbecue and bake almost all our products. Cooking instructions are on each product packaging for tips on best ways and cooking times so make sure you check out the packaging as each product has slightly different cooking instructions.

CHIPOLATAS & COCKTAILS:

Pan-fry for best results: Pre-heat a pan on a medium heat. Add a little oil and pan-fry for 8-10 minutes, turn occasionally.

To grill: Place on the middle shelf under a pre-heated medium hot grill for 12-14 minutes, turn occasionally.  

CHICKEN BURGERS:

Pan-fry for best results: Pre-heat a pan on a medium heat. Add a little oil and pan-fry for 12-14 minutes, turn occasionally.

To grill: Place on the middle shelf under a pre-heated medium hot grill for 18-20 minutes, turn occasionally.

CHICKEN MINCE:

Pan-fry for best results: Pre-heat a pan on a medium heat and add one tbsp of vegetable/olive oil. Add a quarter of the minced chicken and break up into pieces, and gradually add the remaining mince. Stir frequently. Cook for 8-10 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

PORK SAUSAGES:

Pan-fry for best results: Pre-heat a pan on a medium heat. Add a little oil and pan-fry for 14-16 minutes, turn occasionally.

To grill: Place on the middle shelf under a pre-heated medium hot grill for 16-18 minutes, turn occasionally.

VEGAN PRODUCTS:

Pan-fry for best results:  Pre-heat a pan on a medium heat. Add a little oil and pan fry for 10-12 mins, turning regularly. Check product is piping hot throughout before serving. Do not re-heat.

Recycling

Recycling

All of our plastic & cardboard packaging is fully recyclable.

A huge responsibility lies in the hands of us as consumers, so we recycle correctly. We must educate the population to get this right!

It is really important to us that whilst we are conscious about the effect of our packaging on the environment, we must also ensure that we don’t increase food waste which is just as big a problem for the environment as plastic waste if not a bigger problem. We must also make sure we meet health and safety regulations. It is important to us that we make sure that whatever packaging we use we can still maintain the shelf life of the product and ensure as little food waste as possible, in the factory, supermarket and your home. We are currently still in the process of looking for alternative packaging that is fully recyclable and doesn’t increase food waste. If you have any ideas or suggestions, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us sausages@heckfood.co.uk.

Is your packaging recyclable?

Our cardboard sleeves

We want to let our customers know that paper packaging isn’t bad. It’s durable, attractive, renewable and recyclable, as well as serving a purpose; giving you all the information required about the product within it!

Our plastic trays

There are many controversies surrounding the use of plastic packaging which is affecting global pollution.

Our tray supplier uses 90% recycled, previously used and post-consumer waste. This percentage used to be someone else’s packaging, and it’s all 100% recyclable so it will therefore end up being someone else’s packaging in future. 

HECK Product Availability

Are your products available outside of the UK?

Our products are currently only available within the UK.

Can I buy your products in the Republic Of Ireland?

Our products are not available in ROI, only the UK. We are working on this for the future though!

Are your products stocked in stores in Northern Ireland?

Unfortunately we don’t have any listings in stores in Northern Ireland at the moment, however we’re currently working on getting our products onto the shelves.  Hopefully it won’t be too long until you see them in your local supermarkets!

You can order from our mail order system if you have a Northern Ireland postcode.

Which supermarkets stock HECK?

The following retailers stock a variety of HECK products in selected stores: Amazon Fresh, ASDA, Booths, Coop, Morrison’s, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Waitrose. Some of these retailers stock our proucts on their online shop too! Find more details of which products are stocked by which supermarkets here. 

Do you have any vouchers or coupons?

Unfortunately we don’t have any vouchers or coupons, but if you don’t already then please follow us on social media to keep up-to-date with our latest offers.  You can find HECK on TwitterFacebook and Instagram

Contacting the HECK Team

What are the HECK office opening times?

Our office is open Monday to Friday - 9am until 5pm.

If you call outside of office hours or don't get an answer, please feel free to leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

We aim to get back to all emails and messages within 48 hours, however during busy periods it may take us slightly longer – so please bear with us! Thank you.

I have a query. Who do I contact?

For all queries please contact sausages@heckfood.co.uk or call 01845 567709. We aim to get back to you within 48 hours.

Do you do factory visits?

Factory visits have been on hold since COVID 19, as our factory floor is a high-risk environment.

We have always loved showing visitors around our factory. If this is something you’d be interested in, please get in touch via sausages@heckfood.co.uk - we will have a look at our diary and see if we can get something organised.