A FAMILY sausage and burger maker is doubling its workforce as bosses count down to the opening of a new £3.5m factory.

Heck Food is taking on a cook, production line workers and product development staff in a major expansion.

The moves come after the business revealed plans to create a new base, which officials said would act as a savoury version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Bosses told The Northern Echo the plant, based at Kirklington near Bedale, North Yorkshire, is due to open at the end of April.

The changes are expected to help the company build on its growing market presence, which has seen it grace the shelves of supermarkets Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and the Co-op.

Originally launched after husband and wife Andrew and Debbie Keeble sold their previous sausage business, Debbie and Andrew’s, Mr Keeble says such has been Heck’s rapid expansion that its former premises on nearby Leeming Bar Industrial Estate were no longer viable.

He said: “Heck is a business based on people; we care and invest in them.

“We look for people with confidence, with gumption, who are not precious but have personality and a can-do attitude.

“Of course there are specialist roles in the business, but we’re very open to the idea of people changing career paths if there’s something that they feel they’d excel at.

“That’s what’s brilliant about Heck, there are no job titles and there’s no glass ceiling so everyone has an opportunity to grow within the business.

“We’re keen to support our young team and actively encourage extra courses, which will help grow the individual and team.

“Ultimately, we are looking for a bubbly and dynamic workforce because this is the backbone of Heck.”

Mr Keeble added jobs are also expected to be created in HR and finance, with a purchasing role shifting from two days a week to full-time.

According to Heck’s plans, a glass walkway will allow visitors to walk through the entire factory and see the process from beginning to end.

Mr Keeble added: “People will be able to come and see the production line in full flow. We have a machine that makes 700 sausages a minute – it’s like a machine gun.”