North Yorkshire food firm HECK is celebrating after winning two national business awards in the same week. The family owned and run company based in Bedale, where it makes its sausages, burgers and vegan ranges, scooped gold at both the National Egg & Poultry Awards and UK Business Awards.
First came HECK’s Charlene Sedgwick who won Young Processor of the Year at the National Egg & Poultry Awards 2022. Now in their fifth year, the awards celebrate outstanding individuals, business excellence and investment in the future of the British poultry industry.
Twenty-nine-year-old Charlene was presented her award by comedian and broadcaster, Lucy Porter, who hosted the evening on Wednesday 6 July. Charlene joined HECK on the packing line when she was just 19, working her way up through the ranks to her current role in the production office.
A day later at an online awards ceremony held on Thursday 7 July, HECK’s marketing team scooped Team of the Year at the UK Business Awards. Now in their seventh year, the awards recognise the organisations, teams and individuals shaping the future of British business & enterprise and developing outstanding business initiatives.
On winning her award, HECK’s Charlene Sedgwick said: “To win any award is a great achievement, but this one means so much to me because it is one of three specifically designed to recognise young talent in the poultry sector. I started working on the production line at HECK when I was just 19 and I’m still here 10 years later because it’s such a fun and flexible place to work. I get to work with family and friends, and in an industry I love, so it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Of their Team of the Year award win, Becky Keeble in the HECK marketing team said: “We are a young team and love to think outside the box and make things happen. We’re all friends and family, some have even known each other since primary school, so we have a real bond and winning this award is special because it’s recognition of all the hard work and effort from everyone on the team.”
