Traditional Sausage Maker Eases Growing Pains

Musk’s is a traditional sausage maker, based in Newmarket, Suffolk. The firm’s sausages are handmade in small batches, using a recipe established by founder, James Musk, in 1884.

When Chris Sheen acquired Musk’s in 1999, the firm employed seven people but was losing money. Chris knew that establishing a network of support would be vital to turning its fortunes around, “Pumping money into a loss-making business can be a lonely experience. I needed a sounding board and somewhere I could turn for advice and guidance I could trust.”

Solution
Musk’s joined the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce in 2000. Chris saw the Chamber as an invaluable source of legal and human resources expertise, and information on local and economic issues, “Returning the business to profit would demand a lot of tough decisions and we had to get them right first time.”

Over the last seven years, Chris has relied on the Chamber for help and advice on everything from employment law and repackaging to economic surveys, “I always know there will be someone there who can give me answers, or put me in touch with the right people, for instance helping us to work closely with Trading Standards on a packaging redesign.”

Outcome
Today Musk’s has returned to profit and is growing steadily. It employs 30 people and has acquired The Braughing Sausage Company in Hertfordshire. Chris believes that joining the
Chamber played an important role in turning the business around.

“Putting the business back on track required a combination of hard work and good judgement. The Chamber helped us to make the right decisions and gave us the confidence we needed to act upon them. We relied on it for legal and employment advice from day one and we still do. It helped us to steer the right course in the early days and eases the growing pains as we move forward today.”