AMBITIOUS plans to create a £3.5 million sausage factory will include the creation of a “Sausage World” to give people a unique insight into the humble snack.

Heck! Food, currently based at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate in North Yorkshire, is one of the fastest growing companies in the UK. The firm, which creates sausages and burgers from high quality ingredients, was recently named fourth in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table.

The family-run firm’s sausages are stocked in most major supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.

It was launched after husband and wife Andrew and Debbie Keeble sold their previous sausage business, Debbie and Andrew’s. But it has outgrown its premises and has submitted plans for a 30,000 sq ft factory and warehouse at Kirklington near Bedale.

The plans will also involve the creation of what the family have so far dubbed “Sausage World” to give visitors a unique insight into the sausage-making process.

Central to the plans will be a glass walkway, reminiscent of Willy-Wonka’s chocolate factory, through which visitors can walk through the entire factory and see the process from beginning to end.

There will also be a visitor centre where people can have refreshments and educational visits can be hosted.

Andrew Keeble said: “People will be able to come and see the production line in full flow, which is quite something, it’s really, really fascinating to see.

“We have a machine that makes 700 sausages a minute – it’s like a machine gun – and they can see that before their eyes.”

It is just one of many initiatives Heck! Food has initiated to help link communities, food and farming.

Andrew’s 20-year-old daughter is touring schools in the UK to encourage people to think about a career in food production, including anything from PR and marketing to logistics. The firm also encourages youth enterprise in the food sector. Half of its 40-strong workforce are aged under 25, including the Keebles' sons Jamie, who deals with supermarket selling and Rodney, who works on production.

They took on more senior positions after receiving a huge boost by appearing on BBC’s The Fixer in September 2014. Since the programme, they also secured more supermarket deals.

The company will create about 30 more staff with its expansion.

Andrew Keeble added: “We’re still a farming family first and foremost and everything else is second. We’re trying to get more people from the farming community into food production.

“There’s a big disconnect between a farmer growing the pig or chicken on the farm and the final product ending up on the shelf.”

The plans for the new factory have been submitted to Hambleton District Council and are due to be discussed at its planning meeting tomorrow (Thursday, February 4.) The plans are recommended for approval.