One of the South West's biggest export success stories has told how daring and madness helped secure trade links in Japan in a world rocked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Janet Sawyer, founder of Littlepod, which specialises in natural vanilla products, persevered with her trip to Japan this year even when a trade delegation she was set to join with the Department of International Trade fell through because of the virus.
"I sought advice from my son who is a doctor and thought the hotel's booked, everything is booked, let's go anyway."
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The businesswoman, who was awarded the MBE in this year's Birthday Honours list for her services to Sustainability and International Trade said that in fact, the Covid-19 downturn worked in her favour because cleared work diaries meant she was able to reach the right people.
She said: "The Department of International Trade officer I told about our trip throught we were either mad or very daring. She arranged for us to be met by the British Embassy in Tokyo which was very fortunate because the next day it was closed.
"We were told that we would have to visit Japan four or five times before we could do business in Japan but while we were there, Japan was so empty and it meant we were able to see quite a lot of people."
Founded in 2010 in Farringdon, near Exeter, Littlepod started exporting within its first year of business and is stocked in 16 different countries, with customers as far flung as the Tiger Mountain Pokara Lodge in the mountains of Nepal.
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Littlepod launched in Japan in October with the intention of grabbing back some of the market dominated by synthetic vanilla. Even if real vanilla could make an in road of just 1% into the market - it would double the production of natural vanilla worldwide.
And with a reverence for the joy of small things and doing things, Japanese culture is a good fit for the Littlepod vanilla philosophy.
Janet said that Japanese customers have been reassured by the good reputation of the GB stamp with Littlepod's Queen's Award for Enterprise standing her in good stead in securing deals.
She said: "Tradition and honour means a great deal to Japanese people and they trust in the reliability of the 海角视频 Queen," she said.
The business leader was speaking at the South West Business Conference, held on Friday December 4.
The conference, exploring the global opportunities for the South West, also featured talks giving perspectives from China, India and Africa with the keynote speaker HRH Queen Diambi Kabatusuila of Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Prof. Alex Alex de Ruyter, Director at the Centre for Brexit Studies, Birmingham City University speaking at the conference, said that a Brexit deal currently hinges on fishing which is responsible for less than 0.1% of GDP supporting 10,000 jobs.
The conference comes on a day when Downing Street said the Brexit trade talks are at a “very difficult point” and warned that time is ticking if a deal is to be struck.