A PET food company in Swindon has gone global after making deals with 10 countries in 10 months which are expected to bring in over £1 million of revenue over the next three years.

Vet clinic and food firm Pets Kitchen only started exporting its premium product Vet’s Kitchen last autumn but has already racked up a long list of countries eager to sell the snacks on their shores.

Sales director Ben Sutton said: “Exporting can be quite challenging but it is also very rewarding. The Middle East especially can lead to new challenges but also new opportunities.

“You see your brand from a brand-new perspective, with each country having a unique list of requirements and preferences and it’s important to listen.

“What works in one market may not work in in another. For example fish recipes in the UK don’t sell so well but in Asia where fish is prevalent in the local cuisine, fish recipes are very popular.

“The Department for International Trade has been instrumental in helping us navigate various markets, from providing reference for potential new partners to exporting advice. I would encourage other UK companies that are considering exporting to contact DIT and see how they can help.”

Vet’s Kitchen is one of the fastest growing pet food brands in the UK, with a current annual turnover of £5 million. The business, founded in 2005, employs 36 members of staff in Swindon - 11 overseeing the pet food side of things and 25 in the vet clinic.

With support from the DIT, the company generated over £100,000 of revenue in the first six months of exporting.

This year, the company is expected to generate over £500,000 and within three years it is forecast to generate over £1million from international sales alone.

Its pet food will be sold through Top Pet in South Korea, Singapore’s largest grocery chain FairPrice, The Petshop LLC in the United Arab Emirates, Gulf food retailer Lulu’s, and Bahrain supermarket Alosra as well as a Hong Kong pet food distributor.

In 2020, Vet’s Kitchen will focus on expanding to Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand and Japan – which is the biggest pet food market in the world after the United States and the UK.

DIT’s head of trade in the south west Paul Shand said: “It is exciting to see just how much Pet’s Kitchen has achieved internationally in such a short space of time, highlighting the growing global demand for pet food overseas.”