A COMPANY which has grown its food business from the kitchen table to be one of the fastest growing companies in the UK has had plans for a new £3.5m sausage factory approved.

Heck! Food, currently based at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, near Bedale, creates sausages and burgers from high quality ingredients, and 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 submitted plans for a 30,000 sq ft factory and warehouse at Kirklington near Bedale – which have been approved by Hambleton District Council planning committee at its meeting on Thursday.

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

Agent for Heck! Food David Bolton, said: “This is a prime example of a local business which has travelled from kitchen table to being an award-winner.

“It reinforces the reputation of the area as being at the heart of the food industry.”

Planning committee chairman Cllr David Webster said: “I have known the proposed premises all my life. It is near the A1 so it is ideal for distribution, and it will tidy up the site which is made up of derelict farm buildings – newer buildings will be demolished but the original buildings will be retained.”