Global sales of UK food and drink have hit the £20bn mark for the first time in history, as the Government prepares to ramp up its focus on international trade following the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

UK exports grew by nearly 10 per cent in 2016, with food and drink sales to the US – one of Britain’s biggest markets – up 12 per cent, according to the government’s figures published on Tuesday.

China is also becoming one of UK’s fastest growing markets, with the export value of pork skyrocketing to £43m, a jump of over 70 per cent on the previous year’s figure.

Exports of branded food and non-alcoholic drink led the way in 2016 with growth of 11.5 per cent to £5.2bn, the 16th year of consecutive growth, according to figures from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Excluding alcohol, the UK’s top three export categories remain chocolate, salmon and cheese, with exports of salmon up 16.4 per cent, driven by large increases to France, up 32.2 per cent, Ireland up 24.6 per cent and Germany up 98.9 per cent.

According to prepared comments seen by The Independent, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom will on Tuesday say that British exports are showing no sign of slowing.

“As we prepare to leave the EU, there has never been a better time to become more outward looking – developing new trading relationships and establishing our place as a truly Global Britain,” Ms Leadsom will say ahead of the National Farmers Union conference.

With only one in five food producers currently exporting, according to figures cited by the Government, Westminster has turned its attention to ensuring UK companies have the skills to tap into international markets.

Ms Leadsom is expected to say: “The food and drink industry cannot do this alone – we need to give them the skills, knowledge and contacts to make the most of the opportunities ahead.”

“I want to see more companies taking advantage of these opportunities, which is why we’re expanding our team of trade experts to support UK businesses, encouraging them to take the leap and share their quality produce with the world,” she will add.

France and Germany are among the priority markets identified in the UK’s International Action Plan for Food and Drink, a government policy paper launched last October.

Through this plan, the Government is focusing on forging stronger links with key markets including the US, Canada, China and India to generate an extra £2.9 bn in exports over the next five years.

How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nation’s favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafé The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafé Original at Sainsbury’s has gone up 40p from £2.75 to £3.15 – a 14 per cent rise—since the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (£450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterling’s slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons’ customers £2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the “lighter way to enjoy chocolate”, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto

While the fall in the value of the pound against the dollar has helped to boost UK export competitiveness, it has also made essential imports more expensive and the UK’s food and drink trade deficit grew 5.7 per cent to £22.4bn, according to the FDF.

The impact of weaker sterling on British exports is expected to be seen in the first half of 2017 as companies negotiate new sales agreements with overseas buyers.

Last week, a report commissioned by supermarket chain Morrisons and based on research by Professor Tim Benton from the University of Leeds found that only just over half of the food eaten in the UK comes from local sources.