FAQs

We love hearing from you! Especially all your awesome questions from who is Todd Heller to should I prick my sausages?! We have put a FAQ's List together to help you with some of those answers!

FAMILY BUSINESS & FACTORY SHOP

Q: "Do you have a Hellers factory shop?"

Yes, we have a Hellers factory shop at our Kaiapoi factory.

The idea behind the shop is to limit the amount of waste in our factory, we sell bulk runs of product development and other items like short-dated products or bulk items for club fundraising.

We always have an ever-changing assortment of our products but limit it as it is primarily set up as an outlet store.

Kaiapoi Factory Shop Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm 
Saturday: 9:30am to 3pm 
Sunday and Public Holidays: CLOSED 

You can always give the Kaiapoi Hellers Factory Shop a call on 0800 435537 ext 738

Note: Our Auckland factory shop is now permanently closed, apologies for the inconvenience. 


Q: "How many staff work at Hellers in NZ and Australia?"

We currently have around 660 amazing employees that work in our Kaiapoi Factory, our Manukau Factory and for us all over NZ.

We are very proud to say that in NZ we have 3 employees who have been with us for 25 years, 13 for 20 years, 24 for 15 years and 61 for 10 years.

It means a great deal to us that they have been part of the Hellers journey for so long.

In Australia we have around 350 employees mainly in our Perth Factory but also all over Australia.

They also have an amazing long serving team that we are now proud to have working alongside us, 1 employee has been there for 25 years, 2 for 20 years, 3 for 15 years and 12 for 10 years.

If you would like to join our incredible team then please email in NZ: jobs@hellers.co.nz and for Australia: careers@hellers.com.au


QUALITY

Q: "Why does the casing sometimes split when I cook a sausage?"

Unfortunately, casings can be very temperamental, and they really don’t like a fast-cooking method over very hot direct heat.

They also best when turned often and this is why we always recommend you cook a sausage slowly over medium-low heat especially on a BBQ where there is a direct flame.

Take the time to enjoy some banter over the BBQ while you cook them slowly instead of burning them fast!

Follow these links for more cooking info: Precooked Sausages and Fresh Sausages

 


Q: "Can I freeze Hellers products?"

Yes, all our products can be frozen directly in the freezer in their original packets (including gas flushed products). We recommend storing our products in the freezer for up to but no longer than 6 months.

If you have opened our products but want to freeze some, we recommend doing this within 2 days of opening.

We also recommend you place it in a clearly labelled and dated freezer bag, so you know how long it has been stored for.

 


Q: "Do your products contain allergens?"

We want everyone to enjoy our products as much as we do, and for those Kiwis who do have food allergies, we try and limit the allergens in our products such as, egg, gluten and dairy. All our products are MSG free, and we have a large number of gluten free products.

Please refer to the products NIP’s and Ingredients panels for allergen statements. We use an allergen management system. Where we have analysed that there is a small chance of cross contamination, we have included warning labels on our products for your safety.


RANGE

Q: "Do you have Free Range products?"

Yes, we have Free Range Bacon from Denmark. We source it directly from Denmark and it comes recommended by the Danish Animal Welfare Society, the pigs live outside their entire lives. Our Hellers Craft NZ Free Farmed bacon is sourced from farms across NZ, the pigs are birthed and weaned outside then move to big barns with pens lined with straw.


Q: "Why can’t I find a particular product in certain stores?"

This depends on what the store managers are stocking in store. We always recommend that you ask a manager to stock an item you want at your local store as this is great feedback for them.

Alternatively, we have really wonderful and helpful people at the end of the line at Hellers who can help you find what it is you are looking for and where it is stocked just call 0800HELLERS or email info@hellers.co.nz


Q: "Can I buy Hellers products in Australia if so, where?"

Yes, we now have a purpose built factory based in Perth making our products for Australia!

As of 2024 you can buy our precooked sausages at Aldi.

 


Q: "What is the best way to find out about new Hellers products coming out?"

Join our Secret Sizzle Society or follow us on Facebook or Instagram and switch on the notifications so you never miss a post!


COOKING

Q: "Should I prick my sausages when cooking them?"

We don’t recommend pricking sausages.

This came about decades ago when sausages used to be a lot fattier and so people liked to prick them to release off some of the fat…but the sausages still had enough fat to be juicy and flavoursome.

These days sausages are a lot leaner with a higher meat content and so when you prick them the fat escapes along with all the flavour and juiciness…and this is not good for a sausage!

 


Q: "How do I know when my beef meatball is fully cooked because the meat still looks red when cooked?"

The reddish colour of the meat comes from a natural color extract we use from beetroot. They will always have a reddish-brown colour tone on the inside even when fully cooked.

The trick to making sure they are thoroughly cooked through is by inserting a meat thermometer into them to read 71C.

You can also cut one in half to see that the meat is cooked all the way through – there will be no signs of rawness in the centre which has a distinct texture to that of the cooked outer edges.

For more info on cooking meatballs follow this link

 


Q: "When cooking sausages, they always seem to curl which means you can only cook them on one side?"

Yes, unfortunately some sausages seem to do that, and it is a tough one to control as it is a natural reaction of any type of casing to heat. We recommend a slow and low temperature approach turning the sausages often to help prevent this.

Follow these links for more cooking info: Precooked Sausages and Fresh Sausages


Q: "How do I prep my ham for Christmas and what glaze would you recommend?"

Todd, Fraeona and Brydon Heller will take you through all the steps and questions you might have about Christmas hams in our How To section specifically on this topic.

We have created easy step by step photos and videos please use this link

We also have lots of delicious glaze recipes on our website for any occasion not just Christmas. Search “glaze” in our search box


SOURCING

Q: "Does your pork come from New Zealand or around the world?"

Kiwis love pork, but there’s not enough New Zealand Free Farmed Pork and New Zealand Pork produced to reach the demand for pork, bacon, hams and sausages produced in New Zealand.

We purchase pork from New Zealand and these other countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and USA.

We do not purchase any pork from China or other Asian countries. From February 2022 on all ham and bacon products we labelled product with countries where pork has been raised.

Pork is farmed on a larger scale overseas compared to New Zealand, and for a lot of countries it is their top farmed product due to the traditional butchery methods and products they produce. New Zealand is known for its beef and lamb as a comparison.


SPONSORSHIP

Q: "I love Hellers! How can I find out more about sponsorship opportunities?"

While we’d love to sponsor your team or organisation, our sponsorship focus is our ‘Sausages for Schools’ programme. If you’re a school looking for sausages for your next fundraising fill out the form here.