FAMILY food firm Heck is celebrating after another round of award success.

The firm, based in Bedale, which makes premium sausages and burgers, has been named the fourth fastest growing private company in the UK and the top-rated Yorkshire company on the Sunday Time Virgin Fast Track 100

The 20th anniversary edition of the Fast Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales. Heck is one of six Yorkshire companies to make the league table this year, all of whom have been featured before. Heck made its debut in 2015 and has repeated its success, maintaining its fourth place nationally and first place regionally in this year’s league.

Taking its name from the family motto – What the heck – the gourmet food company was founded by husband and wife team Andrew and Debbie Keeble and three of their children in 2013, and its products are now stocked in all of the major supermarkets. With a team of 70 staff, which has an average age of 25, sales have grown 170 per cent a year to £11.2m this year.

Jamie Keeble said: "We don’t try and make the same products as everyone else and this is what sets us apart from our competitors. We also listen to what our customers want and can be quick to bring new, innovative and healthier versions of favourite foods to the supermarket shelves.

"Our ranking in this year’s Fast Track is a feather in the cap for our whole team who are passionate about making good food and bringing it to as many people across the country as possible.”