Gloucestershire truffle specialist breaks into Southeast Asian markets
TruffleHunter, a Queen’s Award-winning business from South Cerney in the Cotswold District, has successfully expanded into new international markets thanks to UK Export Finance’s innovative Small Export Builder (SEB) facility.
The speciality food company, which produces truffle-based products and gourmet ingredients, has used the government-backed export insurance to secure contracts worth £22,500 in Malaysia and the Philippines – markets where commercial insurance wouldn’t offer cover for smaller value exports.
UKEF’s SEB allows businesses to start with a credit limit of up to £25,000 and build up to £100,000 in 50% increments, as they establish a positive trading history with their buyers. This approach has given TruffleHunter (an experienced exporter who won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2021) the confidence to pursue opportunities in emerging markets where commercial insurers would not offer cover.
TruffleHunter has delivered contracts worth £7,500 in Malaysia and £15,000 in the Philippines, with further orders secured for Thailand and Ecuador and Mexico in the Americas.
Hugh Francis, export finance manager for Gloucestershire, said: “TruffleHunter’s success demonstrates exactly why we launched the Small Export Builder, which is to to help smaller businesses access markets that commercial insurers won’t cover. The beauty of this facility is that it grows with the business, allowing them to build confidence and trading relationships incrementally.”
Nigel Whitehouse, CEO of TruffleHunter, said: “The Small Export Builder has been a game-changer for our business. The inability to secure commercial insurance for smaller value orders was a real barrier to access new markets for us like Malaysia and the Philippines.
“UKEF’s support has given us the confidence to diversify our export base, enter new territories and build relationships with buyers we simply couldn’t have worked with before.”
The SEB is part of UKEF’s enhanced business support announced in the government’s Trade Strategy, designed to make export protection more accessible to smaller businesses seeking financial security when trading internationally.
This latest announcement follows the publication of UKEF’s annual report & accounts for 2024/25.
Over the last financial year, UKEF provided a record £14.5bn in new financing, helping over 667 UK companies to export and grow and supported up to 70,000 jobs.