Food from Britain (FFB) has announced the next phase of its plan to help food and drink exporters ahead of the organisation’s closure in its current form in March 2009 will be a webpage directory.

In conjunction with the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), FFB has launched a webpage - www.fdf.org.uk/exports - which signposts other organisations that offer export support to British food and drink companies.

Designed to aid current and prospective food and drink exporters, the webpage covers key areas of activity formerly carried out by FFB: UK-based support, In-market support; the British pavilion at international food and drink trade shows and publications.

The webpage will be available on the FFB’s website from April in order to ensure that companies unaware of FFB’s closure are able to locate remaining support.

Food from Britain (FFB), the market development network for British food and drink companies, works in over 30 markets, helps build UK and international business for food and drinks manufacturers.

John Adams, chief executive officer at FFB, commenting on the new webpage, said: “Our aim is to ensure that companies wishing to expand their overseas business are directed to organisations that can help them. We want to emphasise the fact that there will be support for anyone in the food and drink industry that wants to either start or continue to export their products and that this is how you go about it.

“The fact that the webpage will be available via www.foodfrombritain.com will ensure that companies unaware of FFB’s closure are not left in the dark about remaining support.”

Julian Hunt, FDF director of communications added: “Food from Britain has provided an invaluable service to the UK’s food and drink industry over the years and we will all be sad to see the organisation close. However, exporting will continue and we are here to show current and future exporters the way forward.

Whilst nobody could ever replace the decades of specialist knowledge acquired by the FFB team, we hope that we can go some way to reassuring exporters that, while the services may be a little more fragmented, help is still at hand as and when it is required.”

Resources for Exporters highlights which trade organisations companies based in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales can turn to for support and advice on how to develop their businesses internationally.

In-market support offers information about the in-market support that the Food from Britain International network and UK Trade and Investment can provide to British food and drink manufacturers. Business for the Food from Britain International network will continue as usual after the closure of FFB in the UK.

FFB in its current form will cease operations from 31 March.