British chewing gum brand, Chewsy, is about to enter Canada just months after securing its first export deal.

The latest deal means that the start-up – which produces the UK’s first plastic-free, biodegradable chewing gum – will be sold in 17 countries. Exports now make up 40% of its turnover.

The deal, confirmed before the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, is worth £125,000 over the next five years.

Founded in 2018 by Sunitt Halai, the Bedfordshire-headquartered family firm extracts flavours from plants and fruits for its naturally flavoured gums and even produces bespoke flavours on request.

“I started getting headaches after chewing regular gum and was shocked to find it has so many artificial ingredients and is made from plastic,” said Halai.

“When I could not find healthier alternatives, I decided to make my own plant-based, plastic free chewing gum, which was the first from the UK when I started the business.

“Securing deals with large retailers is hard, so having support from our adviser at the Department for International Trade to attend trade shows and receive ongoing advice, really makes a difference; selling internationally has been the highlight of our business journey so far.”

The Department for International Trade helped the start-up secure Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) funding to attend the 2019 ISM trade show in Germany.