According to the latest HMRC figures, exports of Yorkshire and the Humber food and drink increased by 11% in 2017 compared to the previous year.

The volume of food and drink exports from the region grew to £1.14bn in the 12 months to December 2017 with Yorkshire’s overseas best sellers including meat (£157m), dairy/eggs (£73m) and beverages (£58m).

The overall national exporting picture was also encouraging with total goods exports from the UK increasing by 11.5% to £625.9bn while total food and drink exports saw an 8% uplift to £22bn in 2017.

One of the region’s success stories is Northern Monk Brew Co which, just four years since it started operating, now exports to 22 countries including Iceland, Norway, Japan and New Zealand.

Overseas trade has helped Northern Monk Brew Co to double its turnover each year and it expects to reach a revenue of £4m in 2018. According to Rate Beer Best, the firm is now ranked among the top 100 out of 24,000 breweries worldwide.

Food and drink businesses in the region have been supported by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) as part of the Food is GREAT campaign. Last year, this support included a number of companies from Yorkshire and the Humber visiting markets around the world on trade missions such as Gulfood in Dubai and the Food and Hotel China (FHC) show in Shanghai.

Mark Robson, regional director at the Department for International Trade in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “These latest figures back up the first-hand experience of the many companies in Yorkshire and the Humber that are already feeling the benefits of increased global trade and finding success in overseas markets.

“We want firms to export their products and take advantage of the support available through DIT.”