Business West is leading a coronavirus bounce-back campaign to encourage UK food and drink producers to break into overseas markets.

The campaign, chosen by the Government as the centrepiece of its bounce-back strategy for the agriculture, food and drink industry, will see Business West send hampers full of British delicacies all over the world.

An initial batch of 120 hampers issuing sent to buyers round the world with the first being sent to Dubai.

And a spirits hamper heading to a major importer in Mexico, contains 24 miniatures including samples from Capreolus Distillery in Cirencester.

Other Gloucestershire brands include The Boutique Distillery and Sibling Distillery

Paul Abley of the Department of International Trade worked in tandem with Business West to develop the box idea with their team of food and drink experts.

He said: "Our team in Dubai has engaged with buyers to review the 400 companies on our Great British Food Programme directory, and asked them to select the products that they are interested in.

"They then go in the hamper and are shipped to the buyer for maximum response. We are building hampers specific to buyer requests."

Once the prospective buyer is known to have received the hamper, each company from the UK in that hamper will have the opportunity of presenting to them in a call.

Mr Abley said: "Each company whose products are featured in these hampers could well generate an additional £100,000 a year in business at what is a vital time for companies seeking to trade through coronavirus successfully and by so doing help the British economy recover.

"These hampers are just like a trade show without the personal contact due to coronavirus.

"It is unlikely we are going to be seeing any major food and drink shows anywhere until early next year, so this is the next best thing to promote the best of British food and drink by actually putting these hampers in the hands of buyers all over the world."

Food and drink exports were worth £23.7billion last year, up almost five per cent from 2018.