A YOUNG entrepreneur who turned normal exporting practice on its head with the launch of his foodie venture is predicting to break the £1 million turnover mark following a surge in overseas sales.

London Deli Company, which operates from a distribution centre and refrigeration unit in Murton, was founded in 2012 and now exports to every country in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and will soon be found in Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait as well as on the Orient Express and the RMS Queen Mary II.

Having grown overseas sales by a third over the last three years, the business is hoping to impress judges in the Press Business Awards' Dare to Export Category, while founder Craig Benton is vying for the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mr Benton , who previously set up catering supply chains for a national nursing home group, said: "After the nursing home group was sold off I decided to go it alone and invest in something similar but more ambitious: overseas export.

"Usually export is the last thing a company does rather than the first. But after realising that overseas markets were crying out for traditionally branded British foodstuffs I took a chance.

"My vision was a luxury brand that reflected foreign consumers' best impressions of Britain.

"After scraping together £8000 for a brand setup and sourcing quality Yorkshire made produce I began work from the auspicious headquarters of my bedroom.

"Within a couple of weeks I secured a lucrative contract to export to retailers across the Middle East. The UK Trade and Investment said my business model was a "fascinating case" that turned normal practises on their heads."

In the last three months Mr Benton has commissioned three Gulf State sales teams to meet the brand's popularity in the region thanks to a distribution deal with Lulu retail group.

The business has also recently branched out into miniatures created specifically for airlines and hotel chains and has expanded its range to include christmas puddings and condiments.

Mr Benton is in negotiations with what he has described as a major US online retailer to begin stocking the London Deli Company, while the company's new mail order service is ready to go.

Mr Benton, who founded the business aged 25, said: "I am working with around 35 individuals from more than 15 companies across Yorkshire who produce London Deli food, labels and packaging for export.

"I am proud to say that due to burgeoning orders, production shifts at some of the companies we work with have increased from 12 to 24 hours.

"Innovation is the biggest factor in the creation of a successful export business on a shoestring.

"Having identified a unique market I combined my skills and experience in branding, mass buying, selling and export to develop an saleable global brand.

"The initial premise to bring together a distinctive British brand with quality export-friendly foodstuffs has been a success and I intend to build on that. "I am continually looking for new ways to innovate. By remaining at the heart of my business I can keep my finger on the pulse of customer needs and continuously evolve the brand to meet those needs. However to ensure fresh perspectives I have also recently brought in outside investment."