A family bakery and tea rooms from the Cotswolds has developed what it calls a 'significant export contract' for its food in Japan.

Huffkins, established in 1890, shipped a 1.7 tonne order of fruitcakes, shortbread and branded merchandise to Japan, with more orders already secured for October 2018 and into 2019.

The business, which is also about to move into the new John Lewis store in Cheltenham, secured the export deal after receiving support from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to attend the FOODEX trade show in Tokyo last March.

Natasha Whittaker, head of wholesale and export, Huffkins, said: "Our new deal with Japan is a real opportunity for the business' growth.

"The response we got from attending the FOODEX trade show in Tokyo was incredible. People were queuing up to get a taste of our goods, and it was clear that Japanese customers were very attracted to the fact that we were a British company offering an authentic product.

"Although there was clearly strong demand, there were still a few barriers we had to address in getting our products on Japanese shelves. For example, Japan has strict quarantine regulations that determine what ingredients can be included in food and drink and require you to list each ingredient's country of origin.

"The support of DIT here in the South West helped us get to Tokyo in the first place, but it has also provided us with access to UK Government support on the ground in Japan who could assist in co-ordinating with possible buyers and help overcome the language barrier.

"We're now working with our Government trade adviser at home to explore how we can get our products to Scandinavia. Exporting isn't always plain sailing, but with the right knowledge and support, it can be very fruitful. If a Cotswold bakery like ours can do it, others can too."

Following the trade show, Huffkins received strong interest from a number of Japanese food and drink distributors, one of which it secured a partnership with in October of last year.

The bakery's products are now available in two high-end department stores in Tokyo, and as of this month will be for sale online through Huffkins' Japanese distributor's website.

In November, the distributor will also be opening a shop in central Tokyo, with a dedicated section for the bakery's goods.

Through its attendance at trade shows, the business has also secured orders to Australia, Canada and Switzerland, which will be dispatched later this year.

Huffkins has three tea rooms in the South West including two in Cheltenham and one in Stow on the Wold, as well as a further three sites in England. In October, the company will be opening a sixth tea room in the new John Lewis store in Cheltenham.

Last year the company sent three of its staff from its tearoom in Burford and its bakery in Witney to Tokyo, to open a pop-up tearoom in luxury department store, Isetan, in the city's Shinjuku district, where they sold more than 12,000 Huffkins scones in just six days.

Read the whole story of Huffkins rise and rise see the July edition of Punchline - or find the story on our on-line version of the magazine: Punchline-Gloucester.com .