
We think making sausages is in our blood. It all started with Jim Hoad who learnt his trade whilst training as a butcher with Sainsburys in 1954.
Determined to work for himself and build a family business he opened his butchers’ shop in Rolvenden in 1959. He spotted that there was a gap in the market for a proper traditional ‘banger’ and so the famous Korker sausage was developed and made, by hand, to sell in the shop with a weekly production of just 300lbs. The recipe for has been in the Hoad family for four generations and continues to be made today, as it is as popular now as it was when Jim introduced it.
Demand grew steadily and the Korker quality reputation spread to the point where they could no longer meet the local demand. Thinking forward, Jim bought some land in Rolvenden and built a factory for wholesale sausage production in 1981. The family empire was beginning to really take shape!
Jim’s children were often at the factory, helping Dad out in the holidays, accompanying Mum on site and learning the family business as mini-apprentices!
Jim’s son Robert was the first to start working in the business, as a teenager, in the new factory in 1981. To this day he continues to work in the factory, in addition to running his own smallholding nearby. He knows the production process inside out and is always on hand to fix any problem.
Edward joined the business in 1985 and having worked in every part of the business, today oversees production in the factory, along with securing our raw materials. For a long time, he lived in one of the cottages on site so that really is living and breathing the business!
Julie started working part-time whilst having her own family from 1989 and the flexible hours in the factory suited the demands of having a young family. She is now a full-time member of team, working in the factory when needed as well as looking after marketing and sales.
New products were introduced, following customer demand, such as sausage rolls, gluten free, chilli sausages and burgers. These have grown the product range significantly and contributed to continued growth and success. Family run private distributors cover the majority of Kent and East Sussex and major wholesale businesses have delivered growth and stability.
Jim retired in 2015, but he knew the business was in good hands with his children now working full time as shareholders and company Directors.