NORTH Yorkshire cheese producers are growing their presence overseas as figures reveal UK diary exports have hit a record high.

Figures from the Food and Drink Federation published this week revealed dairy exports were up 8.8 per cent in 2014 compared to the previous year, hitting a record value of £1.4 billion.

More widely the data showed UK food and non-alcoholic drink exports grew by 2.6 per cent in 2014, almost doubling in value over the past ten years.

While the EU remains the UK's biggest market for food and drink exports, overseas trade continue to grow in no-EU countries, up nine per cent on last year, with double digit growth in the United States and China.

More than a third of all dairy exports came from Cheese sales, with exports up 5.6 per cent.

Sales of cheese to the United States were up 15 per cent last year, worth £40 million, while sale to South Africa rose sevenfold and export to Denmark were up by a third.

Supplying the Swiss market with a regular supply of cheese is artisan producer Shepherds Purse of Thirsk, which in 2012 won a contract with Zurich-based department store Jelmoli, which for the past three years has sold the company's Yorkshire Blue and Bells Bluemin White cheeses in its basement food hall, the Gourment Factory.

Caroline Bell, director at Shepherds Purse, said: "The nature of our product is quite difficult to export, although we do have a few regular contracts.

"Exporting it something we are looking in to, and something we would like to grow. There's lots of support out there to get diary producers exporting, and a lot of opportunity available to try it.

"However there's still a lot of logistical challenges for us to export a soft blue cheese. It’s about getting the right conditions for packing and distribution to ensure the quality of the product.

"We need to look into it more before we roll out on a bigger scale."

Miss Bell said exporting would be easer for hard cheese producers, as has been proved by the overseas success of the North Yorkshire-based Wensleydale Creamery, which makes Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese.

The company attributes 14 per cent of its revenue to export, with the North American market dominating its sales.

However last year also saw the company win a £100,000 deal to supply Singapore and Kuwait.

Through Singapore retailer Dairy Farm, the Wensleydale Creamery supplies three of the Singapore brand’s chains; Cold Storage, Market Place and Jason’s, with artisan lines such as Kit Calvert, Wensleydale Blue and Yorkshire Wensleydale, along with blended cheeses such as Yorkshire Wensleydale and Cranberries.

Orders from the Wenselydale Creamery have also been despatched to Kuwait City, as the Creamery supplies high end hotels and delis.

A spokesperson said: "2015 will see the Wensleydale Creamery continue its focus upon growing its export markets, returning to Gulfood to explore potential new markets and build relationships and partnerships in the middle-east and beyond."

North Yorkshire's dairy exports have also been boosted this year after Acaster Malbis-based Yorvale delivered its first ice cream order to the Falkland Islands.

Yorvale’s ice cream, sorbet and Yoryog frozen yoghurt is now on sale in the Falklands through a partnership with Turner Price Export, and will be available at the Falkland Islands-owned Seafish Chandlery Supermarket, part of Seafish (Falklands) Ltd.