Heck Sausages Alex Polizzi - The Fixer

Small firms form the backbone of Britain.

They turn over annually ?1,600 billion.

If they fail...

I can't do it any more.

..Britain would be on its knees.

Death is my exit plan.

But these firms face big challenges.

It's not easy.

He's physically in pieces

and I don't know how long that could go on.

Almost a third of all small firms go bust within three years.

If I fail, not only will the business go, the house will go.

'I'm Alex Polizzi, a small business owner myself,

'and I'm spending this year trying to find fixes for the critical

'issues that kill so many companies.'

He's not allowed to spend one more penny.

'Home truths...'

I hate your shop window.

You should not be in business.

'..and tough times lie ahead.'

All I have heard about is you bitching and moaning.

You're ripping my BLEEP heart out!

'If small businesses succeed...'

It's not just my business you've given me back, it's my confidence.

'..then Britain can boom.

'This time, trading with the big boys.'

We've had losses of between 10 and 20 grand a month.

'Is it possible for small businesses...'

Come on. A bit of enthusiasm here, you two!

'..to survive on the supermarket shelf?'

You should be thinking on your feet.

Oh, come on. We don't have long to prepare...

Come on!

If it goes down, we all go down.

Today eight out of ten of our grocery purchases

are made through our supermarkets.

That means their shelves are the place to be

for many of Britain's aspiring food producers.

And I'm on my way to see one today.

I love any business that produces food.

I'm a food producer myself with the bakery.

But this is a highly competitive market.

COCK CROWS

'One such small business trying to compete is Yorkshire based Heck,

'purveyors of quality sausages.

'Owners Debbie and Andrew Keeble have a passion for crafting artisan bangers...'

I've got the pepper.

Two grams of grated nutmeg.

'..an obsession that has taken over their lives and home.'

We used to butcher pigs on here.

There's a meat cleaver mark there, and there, where I missed.

Aiming for me!

We started our first business with a ?15,000 loan,

which we'd taken out to buy a car.

But we decided there's no point having a car

if we can't afford to go anywhere.

So we bought a sausage machine with it instead.

Launched in 1999, Debbie and Andrew's sausages

quickly became a bestselling brand,

bagging them an annual turnover of over ?5 million.

But when a merger took an unexpected turn,

they ended up losing the business.

It really was Debbie's baby, that brand.

So it was a terrible wrench for Debbie.

They'd devoted 12 years to a product they believed in.

But now it was back to square one.

We had to start again.

And that is how Heck came about.

It was one of those moments where you say,

"What the heck, come on. We have to start again."

And that's why we called it Heck.

They've just taken the biggest gamble of their lives,

investing everything they had in a brand new sausage business.

And it's no small chipolata,

employing 11 staff and churning out 250,000 bangers a week.

Is that working? Fingers crossed, yeah.

Fingers crossed. Don't you love the Russians? Fingers crossed, you know.

Their dream is simple...

Set it going. Set it going.

..to get into bed with the big five supermarkets.

And in just a few short months,

this small player has already achieved a place on Tesco's shelves.

Yeah, I love sausages. I love making sausages.

This time they've roped in the kids.

With little experience, they've all been handed senior titles.

It is really good working with your parents. It's easy.

I suppose people looking at us might think that we are well heeled.

We do live in a very nice house, but it's not ours. We rent it.

The farm is on rented land. The factory is rented.

All of our assets are betrothed to the business.

Second time around, they cannot afford to fail again.

There's an awful lot of pressure on us

because, you know, it's their future. It's not just ours.

If it goes down, we all go down.

Although they're in more than one supermarket,

current sales are nowhere near enough.

We'll do probably ?2.5 million this year,

so we're hitting our numbers. But the profitability isn't there.

We've had losses of between 10 and 20 grand a month.

We've got a ?250,000 loan for sausage equipment.

We're currently in overdraft of ?50,000.

We've invested probably ?600,000 or ?700,000

in building the brand, and working capital in...

I don't know where it goes.

And the pressure is on.

Their place on the Tesco shelves, which accounts for 85% of sales,

is up for review in just three months' time.

We do have to start making some money pretty damn quick,

and we've also got to get some more customers,

because at the moment all our eggs are in one basket.

And that's not a great position to be in really.

Stress is not my best friend but he's always with me.

The potential for this small business is huge

but right now they're haemorrhaging cash.

I've just 14 weeks to help turn a profit

and steer the dreams of a family legacy back on course.

I've never been told what to do. I hate that.

But if she... I'm, you know... We need help.

I can't wait to get to Heck.

It's a small company playing in a very competitive market

and I'm looking forward to seeing how they fit in with the big boys.

'I want to get to the meat of the business

'at Heck's bespoke new sausage factory.'

Hello, good morning. How are you? You well?

Very well, thank you. It's very nice to be here.

It's great to have you, welcome. Thank you for inviting me.

Who are your customers?

Our customers are Tesco's, which is fantastic

and they've backed us for the first year, which is great.

It's interesting cos we've taken completely different strategies

in our businesses.

We've been approached many times by supermarkets,

but we've made a conscious decision not to get involved with them,

just because we know how difficult it is to manage that relationship.

Yeah.

'The top five supermarkets account for 70% of all sausage sales,

'giving them immense power over their suppliers.

'So Andrew's heavy reliance on them is a very risky strategy.'

So this is your best-selling product.

It is, yes, the Heck 97. It's 97% shoulder pork.

This makes you the least money of all your products, doesn't it?

It's the highest meat content, yeah. Yeah, lowest margin.

It's the lowest margin but it's a great driver.

No, I understand that, darling,

but we have to talk the business side of things because actually,

you know, it's lovely to have a product to be so proud of,

but the margins are much lower.

'The product he's selling the most of is his 97%,

'and that's the product that has the lowest margin.'

And one of the main problems his business is facing

is that it's not making any money.

Well, you know, it doesn't take a great genius to correlate

those two sides of the argument.

Do you like leading on or what?

No, I'll follow you. I don't know where I'm going!

OK, should we go and have a little look and see where it all begins?

They're all hand packed, then? Everything's hand packed, yeah.

At the end of the day, on the shelf, they've got to look good.

'The humble sausage is no longer seen as a budget option.

'The industry is worth over ?700 million

'with premium brands accounting for over 30% of all sausage sales.

'But producing such quality comes at a cost.'

And we're very proud of our bowl chopper. It's a Seydelmann,

which if you're going to buy any machine in the world,

that's the one everybody wants to have. I'll keep that in mind.

It's a ?70,000 piece of equipment.

Just to keep it going ready all the time I think, maybe.

Is that all right?

Yeah, of course! Don't want people standing idle.

We don't want that.

So come through to the link cutter here, another nice

new bit of equipment. Very nice. Another expensive bit of equipment?

It is a nice bit of equipment, yeah.

'Andrew has borrowed big time to buy top-of-the-range Germany machinery.

'but with their biggest seller delivering little return,

'is this family putting passion for their sausages over profit?'

Hello, I'm Alex. Hi. Nice to meet you.

If Alex goes to see Debbie,

she'll definitely get an insight into the finances.

You know, Debbie's no slouch on figures.

So she's... She's a forensic accountant, is Debbie.

This is where we get to talk turkey.

Apparently you are the business brains.

Do you think you're good at it?

I'm the best in the family.

That's skirting the issue, dear.

So if you look on your profit and loss sheet,

what are the things of most concern to you?

It's sales.

We're just in one supermarket chain on a national basis,

and we need more to...

And I believe that contract is up for discussion,

isn't it, fairly soon? It is, yes.

Obviously that's a nerve-racking moment.

I'm assuming you have a good feeling about the fact

that they're going to renew. But if they don't, what will you do?

If we don't raise the awareness, and increase the rate of sale,

then we probably won't be here next year.

So let's say you've got another year,

what would you have liked to achieve in that year?

What do you think, where do you think you could be?

Where would you like to be?

Well, personally, I'd like to be the number one premium brand.

And I think it's achievable. OK.

Yeah, I think it's doable.

Jamie?

National, every supermarket in the country, it's definitely achievable.

Ellie?

Just to be well known for having a good quality sausage

that every family likes to have, and just...

It's very interesting,

cos what none of you said was making this company profitable.

It's all about reputation.

It's all nice, fluffy, great ethos,

wonderful belief in your product, pride.

But, you know, businesses are successful

because they sort out the bottom line.

We're in a very tough financial environment

and no-one's going to put out a helping hand, are they?

No. So you have to help yourselves.

We want to make money, we want to put all that debt behind us

and ensure we stay a family business in the future.

I mean, the big headlines are that you have one customer,

and if they disappear tomorrow you'd be in deep BLEEP.

But it's worth remembering that Britain is a nation of small

and medium enterprises, and although the supermarkets

have 80% of the food trade, there is a lot of food suppliers

who are doing exactly what you do, and doing it successfully.

So there's no reason you shouldn't be one of them.

Absolutely Yeah?

'Now I've met the family and I can clearly see what they're up against.

'Poor sales with dismal profits

'and all their money tied up in the business.

'And, to top it all, their biggest customer Tesco could pull the plug

'on their contract in just 12 weeks' time.'

I have a lot to think about tonight.

'I need to begin this process by seeing exactly how the customer

'perceives Heck on the supermarket shelf.

'The supermarket has the potential to turn a small business

'into a multimillion pound heavyweight.

'But with over 400 sausage varieties all fighting for your attention,

'it's crucial that your brand stands out.'

Good morning. How are you?

I'm well, you? Good, hi.

'So I've brought the family to York,

'to one of around 500 Tesco stores currently stocking Heck sausages.'

My aim is to understand how their sausage packaging

and their product sits on the shelves alongside other products,

why people buy them, and why they may choose not to,

how effective their packaging is,

and what they need to do to market themselves better.

'To see how they compare to the competition, I've arranged to meet

'Amanda Peberdy, supermarket retail guru and brand advisor.'

First of all I'm interested in position on the shelf,

and what it says about their brand, and what immediate competition is.

The fixture's laid out in very much a good, better, best.

So the more value products are at one side, these would be

classed as medium products going into the sort of more premium end.

Typically, products near the bottom are quite high volume.

The lowest-selling lines tend to be at the top.

And actually top left is sort of the coldest spot on the fixture.

So here you do have a really, really good shelf position.

They're really supporting your sales

by putting you in a position that is the best on the fixture.

'But cheaper, own-label brands account for almost half

'of all grocery sales. And it's a figure on the up!

'So how does a small food brand stand out from the crowd?'

What do you think the Heck message says as you see it

there on the shelves?

In all honesty,

I don't think it's very easy to understand to the consumer.

I think there's some key messages that are missing off the pack

in terms of what is your unique selling point, what is it that

you do differently, what makes your product more special than theirs.

Yeah.

You're a small business,

making it within the family with care, within your own homes.

We're independent, absolutely.

Actually the key things that other big brands almost have

to sort of create, and you have it naturally.

So that gives you strength because you have a difference to

a Tesco Finest product, and I don't think the brand at the moment

is probably shouting that strong enough.

What do you think are the most important messages that

should jump out?

Customers at the moment really like provenance.

People are really, really interested in terms of where their foods

come from, how it's been made, where the ingredients are from.

Through all these scandals, these food scandals that we keep having,

that traceability is so key, isn't it?

What we were trying to do is to say, well...

it all goes without saying.

If they want to know more they can find out about it, but the quality

of the pack should portray that everything goes without saying.

'Nothing goes without saying!

'Although the Keebles know their product inside out,

'they can't assume the customer will.'

But apart from the Union Jack,

it's not very clearly saying British pork.

There's nothing wrong with actually saying you're a Yorkshire business.

Yorkshire Tea has travelled across the world.

They've bought quite a lot of the packaging, to keep the costs down,

and so I can't suggest to them that they do anything dramatic,

but I'm wondering if the kind of sticker option or something,

we could do something like that with provenance.

Cos it's very, immediately visible again.

Yeah, it's quick as well.

I think the challenge is that customers spend such a short amount

of time, people want to get in and out as quickly as possible,

and there's typically 36,000 products for them to look at.

So, therefore, a strong website and social media becomes more important.

Kids, you're very quiet. Come on, what do you think?

What do you think of all these ideas?

I like everything you're saying, it's making complete sense to me.

I honestly believe that the internet and publicity are part of this,

cos what you want to be doing is driving people to your website.

Suggesting different ways to... maybe you have new recipes up.

But how much do people look at recipes online?

Oh, my God, darling! The world is...

No-one buys a cookery book any more, it's all blogs and, you know...

If you want to appeal to the younger person, you've got to get with it.

Yeah. I'll have you in a pair of skinny jeans in no time!

You bloody won't!

'Andrews's reluctance to "get with it" is not their only worry.

'Having sunk thousands of pounds into design and packaging,

'Amanda's comments are hitting hard.'

I think if I had to take one thought back from today, it's the message.

Our own message, our brand message, really.

It's not standing out enough.

I thought people would look at the pack and say,

"Heck, that sounds interesting,"

turn it over, read about it and then understand why Heck, but, erm...

But this hasn't done that.

So it's been a bit of a failure on that front.

Hasn't it?

We're in against some real big competitors with deep pockets.

So, yeah, it's not easy.

Amanda identified a few weaknesses in your branding.

Now we all know that we are not going to chuck out the old

packaging, but I'd like you to look at samples of stickers that

you might put on, how you might improve the information

about the provenance as she said.

You are the very opposite to a corporate, faceless entity,

and we've got to make sure at every stage that point is hammered home.

And I think you're not doing it well enough at the moment, and so

these are just the first small steps,

but I'm very keen to take them.

'The supermarkets have huge buying power over their suppliers,

'enabling them to dictate the price they pay.

'In 2012, hundreds of farmers blockaded milk plants across the UK,

'arguing that they are paid less than the cost of production

'for their milk.

'Heck's current best seller accounts for more than three quarters

'of sales, but it only returns a tiny 3% profit.

'Because they can't increase their sale price to the supermarkets,

'their only option is to lower production costs

'to increase margins.

'And I've found out their seasoning amounts to ?200,000 a year.'

I want them to see if they can produce a similar or identical

seasoning to the one they're currently buying in

at enormous expense, to see if they can cut down their costs.

What other ingredients are we looking for, for the Heck 97, then?

So we believe... Ginger.

Salt and Pepper. And nutmeg. Ginger. Nutmeg.

And then if we can cut it in half, and put a little bit of cream

with one of them.

Ooh, my word! BLEEP! I was going to take a bit out.

Don't put it back in there cos...please.

This is how most product development starts in our house.

On the kitchen table...

where tempers fray quite a lot

cos we've all got different opinions on it, and usually I think I'm right.

I'm saying nothing.

Is he always right, Ellie?

No. I am!

No, you're not. What?

BLEEP!

The world according to Andrew Keeble.

Yeah, and I'm not wrong.

So, salt.

'Each of their sausages contains 1p worth of seasoning.

'So by just saving an ounce here,

'or substituting an ingredient there, they could save thousands.'

What we currently have is a pre-weighed pre-mix.

Everything's in here - preservatives, salt, pepper.

It makes it very easy for us.

'But it's convenience at a cost.'

That bag right there is 6.65 a kilo.

Salt is 12p a kilo.

Four hours and two new mixes later,

they think they've made something as good as the original.

I think it's nice. Really, really nice.

Most importantly, is there a potential saving?

8.7% percent is ginger.

This would be ?1.03 a kilo.

Compared to 6.60. 6.65.

When I looked at the overall annualised saving of it,

it was like a train hitting me, really.

We're going to save ?170,000 a year.

It's absolutely incredible.

It's the profit that we're lacking in the business at the moment.

'It's a good start, but will the supermarket buyers think

'it's good enough for their shelves?

'To put it to the test I've arranged privileged access to one of

'the country's hi-tech food development kitchens -

'Morrison's HQ in Bradford,

'where their experts will scrutinise the seasoning for us.'

There's about 2,000 people who work here,

and in their product development kitchen,

they test 6,000 independent products

and between 7,000 and 10,000 Morrison own-label products.

So they're busy.

'Morrisons is the second biggest fresh food manufacturer in the UK.

'Every single item of food bought by their 11 million customers

'each week has passed a rigorous taste test

'by one of their skilled chefs.'

Neil. How are you doing, Alex? Very nice to meet you, thank you.

'Neil Nugent is the Executive Chef of Product Development.'

What kind of scrutiny do you put products through, then?

There's no stone unturned. We look at absolutely everything.

So from the sausage, its meat content, what type of meat,

is it shoulder, is it belly,

the seasonings. Everything is key, the skins.

Everything is absolutely key.

Hi, these are the Keebles.

Hi, nice to meet you.

'I've also invited Tony Goodger from the British Pig Executive,

'who's been judging sausages for 12 years.'

I've sampled about 5,500

and some have been fantastic and some keep me awake at night.

They're terrible.

But before the taste test, their raw porkers get the once-over.

So what we do is we start with the raw sausage and we look

and see is it an even size, is it of a nice consistent colour?

And then see if they're fresh.

And ideally, they shouldn't actually smell of anything.

These actually don't smell of anything, so they're nice and fresh.

I think it is worth pointing out that the more meat in a sausage

doesn't necessarily make it a better sausage.

What, taste-wise you mean? Yeah, and texture.

Because it is good to get a balance of your fat content

and your seasonings, so you get a good moist sausage.

Often if you go too much meat, you can get quite dry.

So are you nervous about 97%?

Over to you guys, see what you think.

I don't want to influence you one way or the other,

we're here for advice. Proof is in the tasting, isn't it?

Absolutely.

'So it's taste test time.

'Ready to be compared and contrasted is Heck's current sausage

'with the family's two new seasoned varieties.'

It's a good firm sausage when you cut into it.

And it's got a really good depth of flavour. Really meaty.

That's a nice rounded seasoning.

The notes sort of continue in your mouth after you've finished

swallowing the product,

so it gives you that sort of longevity of flavour.

Little salty for me. A bit too salty?

You have to have a bit of salt in there

because salt is a preservative as well,

and it is important that we don't just take all the salt out

of the product, because otherwise we're sacrificing shelf life.

The spices are starting to come through. A nice finish of pepper.

It's not masked out by excessive seasoning.

I think what you've got is a complementary seasoning

that just lifts the flavour of the pig meat.

'The moment of truth.

'If either of the new seasonings are the taste of success,

'Heck could be seriously quids in.'

Go on.

I'm definitely this one.

'They've both plumped for the new cheaper seasoning

'at just ?1.28 a kilo!'

The seasoning. That's your man.

Yeah, it's definitely got the taste. That's really good.

Oh, good! Thank you very much.

Well, I was very worried that this might go horribly wrong,

and you might prefer the original!

Potentially, could be 150 grand a year saving.

We've have never made 150 grand... ever.

?150,000 saving and a better sausage.

Yes! It's brilliant.

Gosh. Thrilled. Win-win.

I know! You're thrilled?

Next project!

It came out surprisingly well for us,

and it was as we'd hoped, really, so...

I'd say it was a success.

Yeah, seasoning tick, definitely.

'This is a massive breakthrough.

'But Heck still desperately need more sales.'

Captain! Captain Mainwaring.

Yeah, I'll go down the side and close them.

'In case their supermarket strategy goes belly up,

'I think the family need a backup plan

'and should look at alternative customers like the catering sector.'

Gently, gently. Gently with those lights.

'To break into new markets,

'an excellent Sales and Marketing team is essential,

'and this role has been handed to Jamie, with Ellie's assistance.'

It's great having my parents as a boss,

cos I can sometimes tell them to F off.

'18-year-old Ellie left college to start taking a role

'within in the business.'

I'm basically Marketing Manager.

Ellie trundles a little bit to get out of bed,

but we'll get there in the end.

She's got a huge potential, but she's a bit "manana".

Ellie, what happened to the white van?

I crashed it...

..into the box van on Saturday night.

You crashed our own van into our own van? Yup.

It's a brand-new bloody van.

My dad, he does let me off with pretty much everything.

I'm glad we can all laugh about it.

Well, it's only a bloody van, isn't it, at the end of the day?

'And it's not just Ellie who gets an easy ride.'

How many fines do you think we pick up, Jamie's parking fines

and speeding fines per year?

It's about four and a half grand a year in fines we pick up.

My mother pays for the parking fines,

but, you know, I think they're on commission or something,

the parking wardens, you know.

They're really always out to try and get you.

He should be on the computer this afternoon,

spreading the gospel a little bit about the business.

And he won't be, he'll be off down the BLEEP gym.

Hi.

'Time to see just how seriously they're taking this business.'

So, tell me about what you do for the company.

Well, we're kind of in charge of the marketing side.

Marketing and sales.

Sales and marketing is a very specific discipline.

You're quite young, you've never worked for anybody else. No.

Didn't you ever think of working somewhere else first

before coming and joining the business?

No, I didn't. I preferred the idea of working with family.

It is a lot easier.

I think it's just a lot better than just having a normal job.

It's just, you see...

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just...

I know family businesses. Yeah.

And I know the pitfalls, and the pleasures of them.

The pitfalls are that you don't have someone saying,

"Prove to me that you're worth your job.

"How many sales have you made? How many people have you converted?

"Show me your figures, show me your plans for this following year.

"Show me to what extent,

"what percentage of your goals you've achieved."

You know, all these things if you're working for another company,

you would be expected to provide... Yeah?

..to make sure that you add value to the company.

Because there's no point in you being employed for Heck,

if there is someone else who could on your salary

do your jobs better.

Would they have more fire in their belly to do more?

I mean, that's, you know, that's a basic truth.

So you're going to have to prove to me

that you're the best people for the job.

'I don't mind the kids doing their jobs with no training,'

but I'm a great believer in sending your children out to get some

experience before bringing them into the fold.

Because then they've got something to bring to the party.

At the moment they have a title and responsibility,

but really no knowledge of how to do their job.

And I don't think that's fair on either the business or the children.

'It's now just ten weeks before their biggest supermarket client

'decides whether to relist Heck or not.

'In an attempt to find new customers beyond the supermarkets,

'and to see if Jamie and Ellie muster it as a sales team,

'I've lined them up to pitch to the canteen

'at a large local grammar school.'

I want you to know my intention is not to humiliate you in any way, OK?

I just think that the reality is every time you go anywhere and pitch

for this business, you have got to be the very best that you can be.

There's no point in having the best product in the world

unless you've got a really good sales pitch. Yeah?

That's really, really good news.

'Although they've not pitched to the service industry before,

'this should be a routine task for Heads of Sales, Jamie.'

I've not really had a bad meeting yet

where I've sort of been thrown by anything, so,

you know, I know pretty much everything there is to know anyway.

'I would expect some preparation for any new client,

'especially one in a new territory.'

So have you got all your bits?

Yeah, we think so.

'But Jamie and Ellie appear surprisingly laid-back.'

Ellie?

'Andrew is the one driving this forward.'

Right, come on, all who want to go.

Good! Come on, a bit of enthusiasm here, you two!

Goodness me.

'On such short acquaintance, it appears to me that Jamie

'and Ellie are lazy.

'They don't have much get up and go about them.

'The independent grammar school at Leeds serves up more

'than 1,000 sausages a month.'

There's no reason to pep-talk you, but it's nice to see you smiling.

It's nice. You were a bit grumpy as we left the house.

Grumpy. Just tired, just tired.

Erm, yeah.

Mr Murfin, hi.

Hello, pleased to meet you. Hello. Andy Murfin, hi.

'Hoping to give Hospitality Manager Andy Murfin food for thought,

'they've brought their top quality premium sausage

'and their everyday cheaper version.'

This is our 97% pork, it's a very meaty texture to it.

It is a very meaty texture. It's a very good texture.

So what is your best price, then?

That's about 35... 30.5 pence per sausage.

Right.

How are you on that price?

Well, that's quite expensive, isn't it?

Quite expensive. What are you currently paying?

20 pence.

20 pence a sausage? Yeah.

The most I could probably go down is...

Move 50p off. 50p off a case.

It's not very good, is that. No?

No. Sorry.

'Their premium sausages may be out of price range,

'but Jamie's totally forgotten the cheaper 85% version cooked up,

'sitting right beneath his eyes.'

I thought you've brought some 85%.

We have, it's that one there.

Which you never encouraged him to try.

Do you know what? That completely slipped my mind, yeah.

So do please try it. They've cooked it.

Is there a difference in the prices between the 97

and the 85?

There is, but I don't have the, er...

I haven't looked out the prices for those.

'Honestly?'

I've been working four days with their business,

and I think I'd be more prepared to do a pitch than he was.

And I think Ellie missed an opportunity to show me

her people skills, because they weren't in evidence either.

The product's very good, I think they were a little bit under-prepared.

They didn't handle the figures particularly well

cos they only had one figure that they based things on.

The young lady didn't really say a lot.

I would have liked to have seen you talk more,

and I would like to believe that next time you do a pitch

that you are much more up to the ball with it,

and that you have those facts and figures at your fingertips.

Oh, come on, we didn't have long to prepare, though, so, I mean...

I know, but I've had four days with the business,

and all I'm saying is that you should be thinking on your feet

when you do something like that.

I'm not going to think too much about how it went,

cos I know if I had more time we'd have done a lot better.

I'm not asking you to beat yourself up, darling, but I am...

I'm not beating myself up about it, but I'm disappointed with the fact

that I could have done a lot better if I had known more.

Sit down with your dad, and work out pricings on everything.

Because you should be able to rattle that stuff off

at the tip of your tongue.

Yeah. Just to let you know, we don't do catering at all.

'Well, I feel very frustrated by how Jamie has reacted'

to my criticism.

He's extremely defensive,

and, in fact, he was too cocky entering into this.

I don't think he was nearly prepared enough with some basic information,

and he said several times, "I'm not going to look into it too deeply."

Well, I think he should, and I think he should ask himself

quite seriously what he could have done better

and how he'll do it better next time.

A little bit disappointed just because I didn't really know

my stuff on this occasion.

You only found out about it today, didn't you?

Yeah, I know, but still. I forgot a lot of stuff then.

That wasn't nice. That wasn't nice at all. But anyway.

'Their disastrous pitch leaves them still desperate for new customers,

'and increasingly worryingly they could be taken off the Tesco shelves

'in just four weeks.'

The D-word, we call it.

That's the D-list. The D-list to the whole range,

and you're like, "Oh, my God." It's like...

It's like the world's just dropped off, it's stopped,

because that is potentially absolutely devastating news

to the workforce and everybody else.

You know, you lose business and it's shocking.

'If they want to stay on the supermarket shelves they need to

'get all their other marketing tools together, and these days,

'I'm afraid, Andrew, that means getting with it

'and using social media.'

Twitter is about the dullest creation that ever was,

and I think it's quite sad, actually.

Imagine if you're alone in your bedroom...

twittering.

'Social media has changed the way brands communicate

'with their customers.

'Once, they were restricted to expensive TV, Radio

'and press advertising.

'Now they have globally effective online tools

'such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.'

# London calling to the faraway towns... #

'London - the heart of Britain's vibrant social media industry.

'I've brought Andrew and Jamie here to convince them how valuable

'social media is, especially for a small business like Heck.'

Research has just come out which shows that 24 million Britons

use Facebook every single day.

Every day!

So Facebook, in particular, you ignore at your own peril.

As I've always said to you, I'm not a social media guru.

But we're going to go and see people who are.

'Partners Andrews Aldridge are experts in the field, having

'masterminded social media strategies

'for big brands like Rolls-Royce.

'When they developed a social media launch for whisky brand,

'the Glenlivet, the result was a 1,600% increase on YouTube views

'and bottles flew off the supermarket shelf.'

Andrew's very suspicious of social media.

I think the phrase he used to me was, for him,

it's rather like the emperor's new clothes.

And he doesn't see how that drives sales,

which is what he's ultimately interested in.

Do you think you could discuss how that works, basically?

It's essentially given you a platform to reach a large

number of individuals really cost effectively.

They're free platforms, you can say what you want,

and you can be part of the conversation.

You can shape, you can influence

and that's how you need to think about it.

I think the average person checks their Facebook

about 16 times a day.

There has been research around,

how likely are people to purchase products

because of the social media presence of brands.

It's actually 80%, consumers...

Does that include food as well, then? Food, just food, yeah.

80% said they are more likely to purchase the product

after being influenced by the social media presence of a brand.

We know that 89% of all small business

marketers are already using Twitter.

75% are already using Facebook,

and 65% are already using YouTube.

That actually says something to us.

So, what are we going to call it?

Fanny. I want to call her Fanny.

'Looking for maximum brand exposure,

'Irn Bru were aware of the power of social media.'

Fanny, eh? I like it.

This is the..."you called your baby fanny" campaign.

Iron Bru gave a chance for one of their followers,

so one of their kind of loyalists

and you've got followers, you can use these people, to be the first

person to have the film, and that one fan who had 300 followers

said, "This is the new Irn Bru film, I'm the first person to have it."

So that kind of fear of missing out,

fear of missing out on the new thing is great.

So I want to be the next person to tweet that straightaway.

I want to be one of the first 300 if I can't be the first one.

If I'm not one of the first 300, I want to be the second

6,000, and then I want to be one of the first 100,000.

By the end of the week, they had one million shares from one

person sharing it, with not a lot of followers.

And by 2017, Cysco expects 67% of all consumer

internet traffic to be video. Yeah?

So video is something you need to be doing.

Now let's get to some fun stuff.

June 23rd is the happiest day of the year.

So we all know about Blue Monday in the middle of January where

people are all depressed, well, a sausage is a happy thing.

Why don't we get people to stick their Heck on a fork,

put it in front of their face and you've got a little sausage smile?

You post it up, and it's a Heck of a smile

and everybody kind of does that. So you own a moment in time.

And it doesn't matter if not a lot of people start,

because these things kind of gain momentum,

and then next June you double, or triple, or whatever.

And this is the Heck sausage roll.

It's a really simple idea which is basically people roll

through the frame of the camera,

so you're holding up your iPhone or whatever, and someone just does

a forward roll, they pass it on to a friend and then they have to do it.

It builds up a giant film. Most notably, Nike did

this for the last World Cup and had millions of people.

People can feel involved and it's a really simple thing to do.

No, it's a great idea, really like that.

Aren't they really brilliant ideas? They're fantastic. I mean, good Lord!

It's been really encouraging, actually, to see Andrew

particularly change during the course of the day.

I think he started a cynic,

and now he's left a believer and an advocate.

This afternoon has been hugely beneficial.

I'm very serious in investing in social media

because it is affordable.

We can't go taking an advert out in the Daily Mail,

and it's questionable how many you'd hit with that.

I think we can definitely speak to the people we want to speak to.

'Andrew certainly seems to be convinced

'now of the validity of social media.'

Now all we have to do is make some of it happen.

I have to say, "Come on, everybody, give it a go."

'Feeling inspired, the family get social with their ideas.'

# Oh, there's nothing as gay as a day in the country... #

It's a steep hill.

It's quite steep. There's a dog BLEEP there!

You've got to say, "This is a sausage roll, guys."

"Guys"?

This is a sausage roll, guys. Give it a go.

# And go rolly oh, rolly oh,

# Rolly oh, rolly oh

# Rolly oh, rolling along... #

You three could all make a H.

Does it look like a H?

That's an H, isn't it?

Legs together! Legs together?

Good advice from your mother.

You never know, it might catch on.

You never know. It's great fun, isn't it, Ellie?

SHE SHRIEKS

# Oh, you don't have to pay for a day in the country... #

Jamie, stop moving your camera, hold it in one position.

This is the tumble.

THEY LAUGH

All right, well done. Go put that lot together, then.

'This is family fun that makes good business sense,

'and the potential for a "Heck" of a lot of free advertising.'

Well, put this up now, then.

Put it on FaceTube.

'With the social media strategy on a roll,

'Debbie has some news

'which might just keep their dreams alive for now.'

So what's happening with supermarket listings?

Tesco have agreed to continue our listing for another year,

so that's a relief.

Good. Well, that's amazing, darling.

You've come some way. Have you started using the seasoning?

Andrew's already gone and ordered a boat-load of salt,

so there's no going back.

'It's great to hear they're putting the new seasoning into practice

''and the Tesco renewal is a huge relief.

'But as the last 12 months have shown,

'Tesco alone will still leave them failing to make a profit.

'Unless they get onto more supermarket shelves,

'the future could be bleak.

'So I've managed to secure a pitch

'with quality northern retailer Booths.

'This supermarket chain started as a family business back in 1847.

'It may not be one of the big five,

'but it still has a turnover nudging ?300 million.

'This is a real opportunity they cannot afford to mess up.'

That's fantastic.

I've been trying to get us in for yonks.

Good. Well done. One last blast! Bloody great!

I'll tell you what, that's fantastic.

Good. I'm delighted.

I had to tell Debbie to stop shopping at Booths, because they...

He said, "Don't you dare go in there,

"cos they won't take my e-mail."

Serious, I've been on them for ages. That's absolutely fantastic.

'They haven't completely dismissed my attempts

'to get alternative customers from the service industry,

'but right now, Booths may be the family's key to survival,

'and their social media efforts could be starting to pay dividends.'

There's been a tweet from Nigella Lawson saying,

"Discovered a combo of sausage and burger - Heck's Fair Square.

"Perfect for a sandwich."

Yay! They've arrived!

She has 600,000 followers.

It's incredibly important for brand awareness.

Now I just want to translate that into sausages bought.

'I've been with the family three months

'and we've worked on every area of their business.

'I think they're finally ready

'to put all my ideas and advice into practice.

'This is their chance to make it all count

'by winning the contract at Booths.

'But getting their foot in the door of a completely new retailer

'will be much tougher than achieving their recent relisting with Tesco,

'especially when Booths' sausage cabinets hold nearly 80% own-label,

'making it a tight squeeze for any small independent.'

They haven't had a massive amount of success

in pitching to new supermarkets,

so to achieve the 29 Booths supermarkets

would be a feather in their cap

and one I'm really keen for them to achieve.

Who's going into the pit?

Me and Mum.

That's interesting.

'I'm absolutely amazed.'

I've finally got them the opportunity

they've been so desperate for,

and they send in Debbie and Ellie,

who are the least experienced at pitching!

You're going in together. Yep.

Are you dividing and conquering,

or is Ellie just coming for the experience?

Yes. Yes? Mm-hmm.

I don't think it's good just to go there and be completely silent. No.

Cos then it's...

You've got lots of good ideas,

and the fact you've got a Booths loyalty card,

I think it means you've got something in common.

It would be nice if there was a contribution,

cos otherwise I think it's a bit awkward, to tell you the truth.

Hmm?

I expect you to come out and tell me something scintillating

and incisive that you've added to the conversation.

'Can Debbie and Ellie do enough to convince Booths buyer,

'Keith Parkinson?'

Do you want to take a seat? Thank you.

So what were your reasoning behind the Heck,

what does Heck mean to the customer?

We did some research before we developed the packaging,

and we sort of wanted to produce something

that everything was a given, really.

So whilst there's so many things we can say about the product,

we didn't want to put it all on the packet.

We don't put "100% traceable", cos, well, it should be, shouldn't it?

You shouldn't have to say that.

Yeah, but equally,

having all the information available to the customer,

and not necessarily just assuming that the customer will know.

'Keith's concern about lack of provenance on the packaging

'is something I asked them to look into at the start of this process.'

Just off face value, just looking at the packaging the way it is,

I think there's some work to be done on conveying

the sort of real passion that you have for the product

and how we can convey that across to the customer.

It comes back to why would the customer want to pick up

the Heck brand over another brand that would...

Well, I think certainly, as far as we're concerned...

um...

It's all about...

saying...

Well, we found that we've sort of been through...

Um...

So? How'd you get on? It was all right.

It's quite tough.

What is your gut feeling?

He didn't understand why they were called Heck.

He said he was really confused about the brand name,

and why would anyone buy that packaging?

"Why would anyone pick it up?"

'They've turned up today

'with the same packaging they had three months ago.

'That combined with their decision to send in Debbie and Ellie

'may have lost them a vital new buyer.

'It really frustrates me, it makes me a bit cross.'

I want them to just start... I just... Oh, I just want to...

Oh, gosh.

It's like carrying round a dead weight quite often, you know.

And I just want to energise them.

Just come on!

You know, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to get this much help

for your little business.

I think...

I think that they may be missing that.

'While we wait to hear back from Booths,

'there's one other key issue I need to address.

'Throughout this process,

'I've noticed Ellie has contributed very little to the business.

'I'm not 100% sure Debbie and Andrew are being realistic

'about her responsibilities.'

Have a sit down.

'So to help us all evaluate Ellie's role objectively,

'we're going to interview her for her own job.'

What I'd like to know is what do you think your strengths are?

It would probably be talking to customers, I'm quite good at that,

knowing a lot about the product and what goes into it.

What opportunities do you see for this brand

and you as a brand ambassador?

Opportunities? Yes.

Erm...

..I don't...

I don't know.

Do you think you're organised?

I can be. There's days where I'm a bit kind of...

You're not very organised, are you?

Well, no, I can be.

You see, your timekeeping's not great at the moment,

because you are a bit slow at getting to work and things,

and getting out of bed and the rest of it.

No, if I set an alarm on my phone, I don't hear it.

Well, get yourself a big alarm, darling. That's not a great excuse.

That's the easiest thing to put right.

That's an easy thing to put right. It's normally Dad that wakes me up.

But it's an important thing, darling.

I mean, I used to go out all night dancing

and still be in work in the morning, cos I liked doing that.

You've got to be a self-starter. You've got to be a self-starter.

You don't want to have to be turfed out of bed by your mum or your dad.

That is a bit embarrassing, let's face it.

It means you're in the wrong job, really,

cos it means you're not enjoying it. Yeah.

Cos you know what the risk is for you particularly,

cos you're the baby, and you're the girl,

is that, actually, you get given a bit more rope.

But that's not brilliant for you, because one of these days,

whether it's here or somewhere else,

you really are going to have to go out and earn your way in the world.

This is not great training for that.

I feel that really passionately.

This has got to be something that is good for you,

and good for them. It's got to be good both ways. Yeah, absolutely.

Good luck. Stop putting your fingernails in your mouth!

I can't help it!

I think it's good for you to have those kinds of discussions.

Well, we haven't had enough of them,

and actually when you do have the discussion,

it shows you how she's not really enjoying what she's doing.

Not getting job satisfaction, cos she doesn't know...

I think she feels like it's a dead-end job.

I know, but did I think waitressing was a dead-end job?

Well, no. No, because actually, A - I loved it,

and B - it was a stepping stone

to do what I thought I might want to do.

INTERVIEWER: They seem very concerned

with what time you wake up in the morning.

Is this a constant thing? Is this a theme?

Yeah, it's a habit.

In college, I didn't have to get up till later.

It isn't too bad.

Ellie is going through a bit of a teenager-y bit.

She's a bit of a spoiled brat, actually, so she needs it,

she needs a kick up the bottom, really.

We can only carry her for so long,

so she needs to buck up her ideas or, you know...

..get another job.

'We do need to remember that Ellie is only 18.

'Maybe giving her such a critical role in the company

'was a bit unfair.

'She may just need to learn the ropes for a while.

'They will need to resolve this for everyone's sake.

'A few days later, unexpectedly,

'there's a glimmer of hope from the buyer at Booths.'

He's very kindly come back to us

with a list of the sort of things they'd like us to look at.

'Booths liked the sausages enough to give Heck a second chance,

'if they can make some amendments to the packaging.'

The consistency of the gluten-free message, so we need to get the tab

on every single pack so it looks uniform. He's quite right.

"And up weigh the provenance message -

"you're Yorkshire and proud." We ARE Yorkshire and proud.

"The current packaging does not convey this."

I think it's that "what the heck" attitude

that we need to get across there.

'Knowing to take nothing for granted,

'it's down to business.'

"Meet our team" I think is good.

We'll look at putting some faces on the front of that.

Stick one to the shelf-ready packaging, right in the middle.

What, like that? Yeah, just like that.

There's a sticker on the pack,

"Young, fun and having a go."

Who's Heck, who's not?

David Cameron, not Heck.

No? He's definitely not Heck, is he?

Who would be? Boris Johnson.

He'd be Heck, wouldn't he?

Prince Harry's quite Heck. He's very Heck.

He's Heck - he was naked with a load of...

That's not Heck!

It's quite Heck. That's dirty.

It is. It's quite Heck if you remember the royal family.

'Three weeks later, Andrew is back to deliver Heck's revised product.'

We've done quite a lot since we last saw these guys.

We've done some changes on some new packs -

"proud and independent",

that's one of the things that came out through Alex's conversations.

Yeah, I've got some delicious sausages,

and I think he'll be very happy with them, hopefully.

He's expecting them, so you take good care of those and that'd be grand.

Cheers, thank you very much indeed. Thanks very much.

In the lap of the gods now.

'Throughout this process,

'there has been a sensitive issue playing on my mind -

'Ellie's role in the family business.

'But three months after I first arrived,

'I'm relieved to hear Andrew and Debbie

'are finally being more realistic.'

I think she's probably just a little bit too young to join the business.

Well, certainly in a role of responsibility.

She needs just a little bit like a year out.

She's got huge potential, but we're just not getting it out of her.

I think she just needs time to grow up a bit more, you know.

'My intention was never to undermine Ellie's involvement

'in the family business,

'but now it's being re-evaluated,

'I want to ensure she's thinking positively about her future.'

If, let's say, it doesn't start making money, and it closed,

what would you do?

I don't know, really. I'd have to go out

and start looking for jobs straightaway.

Me and my dad have actually spoken about going out

and working for another company for a couple of months.

I think it would be good, darling.

Also, you should think about what aspect it is of Heck

that you want to concentrate on further down the line,

and try and go to a company that's going to give you experience

in that aspect of working. Yeah.

I mean, that makes sense.

If you're going to do merchandise,

maybe you should go and spend some time in a design company

and see how things happen.

You've got to think about what it is that you really want to do

and not be a passive. Don't be so passive!

Don't let the world just...

Don't just be dragged along in the slipstream, darling. Yep.

Cos I know you're young, but it's good to be young,

and to have an idea about what you want to do in life,

rather than just tip out of bed and do it because it's there.

Yeah. Yes?

I want to energise you and make you feel

like the world should be your oyster at this age.

'I feel more confident now about Ellie,

'and I'm pleased to hear Jamie's got a proper grip

'on the company's facts and figures

'and is playing a key role in the business.'

He has stepped up to the plate.

He's been coming up to a lot of retailer meetings with me now

and I think he's wanting to get more involved in the business.

He's always been a bit slow on the uptake,

but he absolutely gets it now.

MOBILE PHONE RINGS

OK, got it.

'But the future for Heck...' Hello?

'..could all rest on a decision from Booths.'

Hi. I've just had Booths on the phone...

Yes? ..and it is good news, so we have got in.

Fantastic, well done! It's not well done me.

Actually, it is well done, actually.

Brilliant, well done, fantastic.

Hi, Alex. Hi. I'm just here with Debbie.

We've just had Booths on the phone,

and they've given us a listing, which is fantastic news.

Well done. Woo-hoo!

Woo-hoo!

That's great news. At last, we have something to celebrate.

We do indeed.

We're pulling the cork and raising a glass to you tonight.

I'm thrilled to hear your good news.

I send you all lots of love.

Take care of yourself. Thanks, Alex. Bye. Bye!

'Four months ago, I took on a family business bursting with potential,

'but riddled with problems.'

Sometimes, you can't see the woods through the trees

and it's a brilliant expression. That's really how it was.

Now we can see.

We can see everything that we need to see

I think a lot better than we did beforehand.

'But this small business's decision to put themselves

'at the mercy of the powerful supermarkets

'appears to be finally paying off and the floodgates are opening.'

Got an e-mail from ASDA,

confirming that we've got 280 stores,

which is absolutely fantastic.

Yup, another door opening, and she's from Waitrose,

so that's really good.

'They're now on the shelves of over a thousand stores

'and a step closer to realising their dream

'of being the number one premium brand.

'I absolutely have faith in the Keebles

'that they'll be able do whatever they set their minds to.

'They're pretty ten-foot tall and bulletproof, that lot.'

Obviously, they take enormous comfort

from the fact that they're working as a family.

This process has been invaluable,

cos it has made us look at roles with the kids.

I've certainly been tougher, but a lot fairer.

'And for the very first time, this month,

'they haven't faced a loss.'

?1,500 of profit is really small,

but, bloody hell, we'll have that, thank you very much indeed.

We ain't going to go back to losing money. That's it.

It's a turning point -

?1,500 of profit will be 15 grand in a couple of months' time.

I think 2014 is going to be a fantastic year.

MUSIC: "Good Morning Freedom" by Blue Mink

The baddest teacher is back.

It's summer term! CHEERING

And by "bad", we mean...

Rule!

One more game, then back to work?

ALL CHANT: Judas! Judas! I quit!

.."not good."

It's a snake!

You thought that Hitler's first name was Heil? Heil Hitler.

Your hip-hop moves are about THIS far from a race crime.