To decide not to buy Heck sausages after "The Fixer" last night.

[higgle]

I presume the Keebles family who run this business thought that by being on The Fixer with the seriously lovely Alex Polizzi people would want to buy more of their stupidly named sausages. The whole programme made me decide never to try them. This hugely self entitled family lived the high life in a rented farmhouse, drove around in a Range Rover and felt they should enjoy a seriously large income from making sausages and selling them to Tesco and others. They employed their daughter who couldn't be bothered to get up in the mornings as head of marketing (aged 18) and their son who hadn't got a clue, and clearly demonstrated that selling to a school catering business was beneath him.

Their marketing philosophy seemed to involve making video clips of themselves doing twatish things like rolling down hills and giggling. They spent time deciding whether people were "Heck" or "not Heck" The whole thing was like Pedlars doing food.

So, please not I will not be contributing to support your Joules/Boden/Aga type rural idlyl with my sausage shopping money, I'll continue to buy from the nice "Black Farmer". IABU?

Well of course fat goes into sausages, otherwise they wouldn't hold together properly and wouldn't taste so good. If there were loads of it however, it'd render out in the cooking process and they'd shrink noticeably. The type I buy don't do that.

I've stood and watched several butchers processing pig carcasses. I've seen what they take off for the sausages. It really is just the trimmings from neatening up joints. A good sausage is simply meat, rusk and seasoning.

I wouldn't go near cheap sausages with a barge pole though.

Yep, my partner and I were also shouting at the TV watching this last night.

Those bloody children needed to go out and get jobs or else get blue hats on and be employed in the production area for a few years. The sense of entitlement was ridiculous. I wanted to smack the older boy round the chops - driving around in that bloody great Range Rover as though he was important.

I still don't understand why they picked 'Heck' as a brand name. At no point did I understand their explanation even though they tried to give one about three times. Each time the person asking was left scratching their heads.

I wouldn't say it's made me feel like I want to avoid the product, it just made me ragey that they were so simpering and lacking any business acumen. Alex is my hero, I loves her

"Oh, and although the best sausages were described as having 97% pork in them, a lot of what went into the incing machine was fat - which still qualifies to be called pork."

That's because if there was no fat in there it would be inedible.

They are only 14% fat, which is not high. Around 20% is ideal IMO.

Off to watch! Sounds like I'll be another one avoiding them...

And the lazy arse son had got £4,500 of parking fines (apparently it's a conspiracy) which parents paid off!!

Parents are to blame for the kids being useless layabouts. Why the fuck would you pay that???

Idiots.

What is it with the nasty comments about their house and car and Boden-lifestyle? I think that says more about you than them.

I saw people who were keen on food but not that savvy about business and who were desperate about the prospects of their children. Yes, the children were spoiled and frankly unemployable. But we all make mistakes out of love, don't we?

I'd like to know just how employable everyone here is.

DH has a small business. He learned as an employee in other businesses before striking out on his own but he still made errors. Thanks to his acumen we're still alive nearly 20 years on, but it's tough.

Not that I'm asking you to owe me a living. Good job, because on the evidence of this thread, you're not going to give it.

Our business is in our neighbourhood and I remember him saying when we started that we had to be careful not to be seen as living high on the hog because people wouldn't like it.

By 'high on the hog' I'm talking about eating at a mid-priced local Italian and pizza restaurant started by his friend who'd also branched out from his background as an employee at various restaurants from about 15-years' standing like DH.

I didn't get it. I didn't think people would be so petty. When he comes home tonight after a long day I'll apologise and tell him he was right.

Actually, I won't, because I learned long ago that people are petty and envious.

The parking fines were outrageous. Pretty sure if the parents had made him pay them then he'd be a little more careful about where he parked.

Didn't understand the branding. And the what is or isn't 'Heck' was just stupid.

The apathetic, sullen kids irritated me immensely. 'I don't know how much the cheaper sausages cost as I didn't have time to prepare.' WTF? He's their sales rep. Doesn't he sell all the range?

I also thought the massive rented farm house was rather dodgy and a big factor as to why they made a loss. Normally companies making such big losses don't have salaries being drawn from them.

Well they did go on telly saying they own nothing, and are clearly shown pissing money up the wall.

Which is pretty stupid.

Limitedperiod I think people are saying that generally if you're trying to build a successful business and it's making a loss then you would generally reign in your spending.

Downgrading the landrover and finding more affordable premises could be the difference between profit and loss, and ultimately the success of their business.

You cut your cloth according to your means.

You have to remember of course that TV shows are always dishonest.

Their turnover looks to be around £5 million

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/smallbusiness/article-2638303/Sausage-maker-Heck-Food-reaps-sales-3-million-year.html

And another product with their name on it

www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=257577171
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/9832464/Couple-learn-hard-lessons-from-selling-their-business.html

So they probably do have a fair bit of cash, it's just lying for TV.

Just usual TV bollocks, don't fall for it.

Just watched it. Those kids should be getting experience in another firms for several years or starting from the bottom of heck. Don't understand heck. What the mean. As a customer I wouldn't even notice them on the shelf. Have bought Debbie and Andrew sausages before but wasn't impressed so only bought them once. Prefer black farmer or at moment waitrose own which are £2.12 for the pack but we don't eat much sausages. Agree why won't thry living in a smaller house, why such a big car. If no profit until the end what the heck are they living on..

I like the Sainsburys Ultimate Pork Sausages

binarysolo they already have a landrover and live where they live. From where they live it's pretty obvious that everyone needs a car.

I can't see how downgrading to a 3rd hand Nissan Micra would particularly help them out of the hole they were in which is poor business acumen rather than anything to do with having a nice car and house and clothes.

I didn't notice that they had nice clothes, btw. That's not me bitching about their sartorial taste btw. It's what I've noticed from other people on this thread who want to give them a kicking.

I think the advice they got from the ad company was fabulous. So much so, that I'll be suggesting it to DH. Though we won't be rolling down hills. I also thought the Heck name was brilliant name once the reasoning had been explained. If only they'd explained why they decided on it on their packaging.

I understand the marketing of The Black Farmer sausages and the Innocent brand do it and everyone buys their expensive milkshakes. So why shouldn't it work for Heck?

Heck, we've failed, dusted ourselves down got up all over again and still make really good sausages, so give us a try.

I probably wouldn't buy Heck. I'm loyal to Sainsburys Taste the Difference Cumberland or pork. But I don't understand the hatred towards people in a small business.

I like Duchy originals sausages because the don't contain nitrates which can cause cancers they also taste better than the D&A brand. I will also not be giving my money to help support their entitled useless trustafarian dcs

'They live where they live' yes in a big, swanky, RENTED property. Point being they could probably rent far cheaper premises that were equally as functional. They are paying a premium for their lifestyle, Which is fine if you can afford it, but if your business was making a loss, you'd look at increasing profit and reducing costs, no?

There's no hatred towards small businesses here. But making a loss and still having certain lifestyle expectations seems like burying your head in the sand.

I didn't see it but add my name to the list of people who have never heard of Heck sausages.

Hello this is the first time I've been on AIBU and thank you for all your feedback. It's has given us a lot of food for thought and any advice gratefully received. As you can imagine it's not easy juggling family and a business and we know we've made lots of mistakes and are likely to make more. It's the difference between nurturing your children and allowing them to go out and learn life lessons. Behind the scenes they do work extremely hard and our doors are always open for you to meet us - either at the shows or on the farm - to show the real (not edited) family. Many thanks.

I like Duchy originals sausages because the don't contain nitrates which can cause cancers they also taste better than the D&A brand. I will also not be giving my money to help support their entitled useless trustafarian dcs

I don't dislike William and Kate but wtf?

William will inherit his father's Duchy Originals brand which is style over substance and grossly subsidised by Charles's income fromthe Duchy of ?Cornwall.

Kate will inherit a share of her parents' company which has employed children who are largely unemployable.

Much like the Keeble children.

"I like Duchy originals sausages because the don't contain nitrates" ordinary, fresh, butchers sausages don't contain nitrates. Nitrates go into the cure used on bacon and salami type continental sausages but not the usual type of British sausages.

Best sausages ever eaten is from our local butchers in Somerset. Made on site. Again a family business but boy they worked hard. The children had to or else they work else where. Also there's a farm out side Banbury thats the same. One day they run out of the sausages I wanted. They said could you wait 5 minutes and made them in front of me!

I think it was mostly bollocks (and not in the sausages). They are obviously experienced business people given the past track record, but it makes good telly to show the troubleshooter (who has the charisma of a gnat) coming in and teaching them to make cheaper sausages and such like.

I missed the first 10 minutes and just dipped in and out of it. The whole family were twats, they didn't deserve the help and huge free advert from the BBC license payer they were getting. Why were they called Heck anyway? I assumed that was the family name, is that not the case?

Why were they called Heck anyway? I assumed that was the family name, is that not the case?

As you said, you missed the first 10 minutes.

It's not a bad brand name, but they should have explained it on their packaging.

And you should have watched the first 10 minutes before commenting. It is available on iplayer.

Eh? Why are you so arsey limited, either answer my question or don't bother commenting yourself. What a nasty, pointless post to make.