Family-run baker Haywood and Padgett is making in-roads into China and also looking at expanding into the Japanese market.
The company is now the UK's largest scone manufacturer producing around 4.5 million scones a week, and as such, there could be no better sponsor for the Proud of Barnsley Young Entrepreneur category.
Haywood and Padgett started in Wombwell more than 25 years ago with just two men in a small rented unit but is now in a 31,000 sq ft purpose built factory in Carlton.
Managing director Wayne Padgett said the latest China exhibition in Guangzhou was a great success.
He said: "So far this year, we have been to Guangzhou, and we are now sending more product than ever over to Australia. We have also had a successful contract with Costa Coffee, supplying them with a premium product.
"Going forward we want to try and gain more food service business, and we are going to Japan in March next year to present our product. Our Japanese contact Mr Tomita is coming over to Barnsley this year to visit the factory."
The firm was helped on its Chinese mission by Bridget Pearson, of Barnsley-based translation company Your Bridge to China. "We wanted to introduce scones over there as an exciting new delicacy," added Wayne.
In preparation for the visit, research was done with Chinese students at Sheffield Hallam University. Wayne said: "They came up with innovative suggestions including adding spicy sausages to a cheese scone and making scones a breakfast dish."
