Heck will make its debut in the £1.2bn bacon category next week with the launch of two no-added nitrite lines into Tesco.
The Yorkshire-based sausage and burger brand will roll out its unsmoked and smoked British back bacon rasher six-pack on 3 April (rsp: £3/210g).
The move will pit Heck directly against nitrite-free bacon pioneer Finnebrogue – which sells its Better Naked rashers in the retailer at £3.50/200g).
The bacon is manufactured on Heck’s behalf by an unnamed major pork processing business and had been developed in response to growing consumer demand for Heck to enter the bacon category, the supplier said.
The move was an obvious extension to the company’s meat, chicken and plant-based products, added Heck co-founder Jamie Keeble.
“This is ‘full English’ heaven, and will be the perfect serve alongside our sausages,” he said.
Keeble identified the bacon launch as a key driver of future growth for the family-owned supplier, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year.
“The UK market is worth £1.2bn, while the global market is worth £65bn. But it’s mainly own label now, so there is a lot to play for,” he suggested.
“The bacon will be produced with more natural seasoning, which means we don’t have to add nitrites in the curing process,” Keeble added.
“We’ve been dairy and gluten-free from the beginning, so this free-from approach is something our customers would expect.”
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