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?

Helen-I thought they showed them to illustrate the fact they used to own Debbie and Andrew's sausages, did I get that wrong? I wonder what the whole story is there?

ok take it back, it is just really hard to find

I've seen them about at shows. Debbie and Andrews sausages are okay. Heck are okay. There are much nicer sausages out there.

Hi All,
Yes it was me joining the discussion yesterday and I agree that Jamie and Ellie did come out of this looking like numpty’s, but that is the power of editing and we knew that in order to benefit from the expertise of AP and the force of the BBC that there would be a price to pay. I don’t know about the kids but I didn’t look so great either, but we knew the score. Although, as a viewer, there’s nothing more sickening (or boring) than the “perfect” family, and “perfect” business and “twee” lifestyle being thrust down our necks either – let’s face it, that’s not real life. We are just an ordinary family, with a vision, having a go.
Now I am not really one to defend my brood as they’re not perfect by any means but it’s really not easy being put on the spot with a camera in your face ( I can vouch for that) and it was a big ask for them to put their reputation on the line for the sake of the business. Also, I have to say they aren’t afraid of hard work either. They spend every weekend flogging up and down the motorway at shows and events selling bangers, spreading the word and trying to build up the brand. And when they are not doing that they are in the factory making and packing sausages.
Roddy , who was 21 yesterday, is more involved with the everyday running of the factory, he is really practical and brilliant at solving problems even though he is severely dyslexic – can’t read or write AT ALL – he got off quite lightly in the filming, giving him a hard time wouldn’t do his self-esteem much good and the BBC could see that, so we should be thankful for small mercies!
But that’s enough being nice, time to kick some butt, orders have shot up today, no rest for the wicked.......

Oh and why Heck? Mmmm, going to get a bit heavy now……..
“What the Heck” is our family motto. It goes back to the 1980’S when Andrew and I first met, a bit like “our tune” but its “our quote” from a film called “Risky business” with Tom Cruise in it (his first big hit).
The general gist being that sometimes you need a bit of courage to make the most of what life has to offer, to stand up and be counted, make a difference. Here’s the quote:
“Sometimes (but not all the time!) you have to say “what the Heck”; Saying what the Heck gives you freedom; Freedom brings opportunities; and opportunities create your future.”
It’s amazing really, but once you have said it a huge weight lifts and there is no going back, only commitment, because you’ve made your mind up
What the Heck is not a question but a statement of intent. We believe that it captures our uncompromising attitude towards food, even if it costs us time and money, and we wanted this simple minded attitude to be at the heart of our brand and so we called it Heck……………….
Does that make sense??

You know, Debbie, I really take my hat off to you. You've got chutzpah, turning a bashing on AIBU into a marketing opportunity!

Am I the only one who clicked on and added a couple of packets to my Tesco delivery today then? They arrive between 4-5pm!

I did think the parking fines were ridiculous and some of the bits shown of the kids were very lacking, but I am very aware that editing many hours of interactions into an hour makes it very easy to portray whatever the programme makers want.

A brave decision by the family, and hopefully one which will pay off.

CerealMom I cant remember the actual name but there was a series about them and he was billed as 'the chocolate man'. He was obsessed and made little cylinders of pure chocolate and put it in eveything.

There was lots of 'oh by golly we are so broke, while jetting off to their plantation and swanning around in a big house and kids in designer clothes'

Here we go Willies Cacao.

They did have a lovable endearing quality but the we're so obviously not broke gets on your nerves after a while

Do I detect a note of cynicism there?? keep it coming why not!

It's not my intention to turn it into a marketing opportunity, I'm a Mother attempting to defend my family and the question was raised "Why Heck?", although I have to admit its a bit long-winded - I need help in trying to explain "why" in fewer words, it's not easy to do without missing out the essence, so any ideas will be very gratefully received

Tell me about the parking fines (did you notice how little hair Andrew has???) not through lack of trying - the public humiliation has hopefully hit home
Thank you Alex

No, I honestly wasn't being cynical, I really meant that!

(Tone fail).

and another thing, you've got me started now, Jamie doesn't have a car but shares ours - so the reason we pay the fines is because they are in OUR name, and if we don't they keep getting bigger and bigger (they are parking fines not speeding)
Any way enough about that subject, I promised to drop it if he promised to feed the meter

Debbie you are bwave. Hats off to you. I missed the programme- tho heard OH guffawing at some of it!

Gluten free and free range? Proper free range, or outdoor reared?

oh, and still just Tesco?

(don't worry peeps, I'm not a sock puppet or a hype man/woman. I'm just SOOOOOOO damn picky about sausages that we hardly ever get to eat them)

Ah Alex Polizzi - the woman who gave me an obsession with mattress and pillow protectors

Dock the parking fines from his wages. Seriously, stop financing these fines!

Debbie, I am another who genuinely applauds you for coming on here and having a dialogue with us. Good use of social media!

Your point at 11.34 of funding it hard to explain Heck - if you struggle to put it into words, then you will struggle to get this across to packaging designers, and shoppers will have no chance at understanding Heck when they're shopping the fixture.

I had no idea so many people cared about the eventual destination and use of their money, post purchase of product!

Do all you folk boycott Nestle, Primark, worry about supporting sweatshop labour, and use the Good Shopping Guide to decide which company to support, too? www.thegoodshoppingguide.com/your-ethical-comparison-site/

Or is the only important thing whether you like the managing director's teenagers?

Well we try to portray it in our brand personality, values and attitude and lots of people do "get it" without having to explain it, but because its so different it will take time....

Hey!
I've just had a thought - another "what the Heck" moment of madness, but I would love to send who ever is up for it a pack of sausages in return for some feedback - constructive criticism only please!
Let me know who's game on and I'll sort out the logistics...........??

Tilly, that's rather a silly, reductive argument.

With me, I like supporting small, local businesses. I like to buy British where I can, especially with meat, as I believe that we have higher standards in this country than do others, and actually Heck is higher welfare than most. I thought Debbie came across really well -she seemed nice, ballsy and really passionate. And I so want them to succeed, hence the interest. It was very frustrating that the show seemed to show certain basics not being done quite right.

Is that ok with you?

I'm in if you can work it, Debbie! Might be tricky wrt logistics however as you'd not want to go down the route of chilled couriers, it would be ruinously £££. And setting up coupons etc might be costly too, unless you have them set up already.

We knew that in order to benefit from the expertise of AP and the force of the BBC that there would be a price to pay

Incredibly insightful post, Debbie - but then we've also had a programme made about us and know where you and others mean about editing

Reductive? What complex, nuanced approach to shopping am I unfairly over-simplifying?

I have just read this thread, hence my post before. There were some really spiteful remarks. If I have taken these comments awry, such as the ones relating to not wanting to contribute to the profits spent on Boden, surely they'll be happy to say, "yes, I always worry about funding exploitation of workers or poor farming practices, too". Right?