A baby food brand that counts Prue Leith, the The Great British Bake Off judge, as an early backer has built a £1.5 million export business in the past year to help to cushion it from Brexit uncertainty.

Piccolo Foods, founded by Catherine Gazzoli in 2016, makes Mediterranean-style organic fruit and vegetable purees using her experience working in food education at the United Nations. The brand, which sells pouches of sweet tomato and ricotta spaghetti and squash mac and cheese purees, is also backed by Craig Sams, founder of Green & Blacks chocolate, and Mark Angela, the former Pizza Express boss.

Ms Gazzoli said that Piccolo was on track to make £7 million in turnover this year after winning contracts with all the main supermarkets, broadening its range to include teething biscuits and stir-in pasta sauces for toddlers, and launching overseas.

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