Last year saw the UK's food and drink export market valued at more than £10 billion for the first time, home cooks may be interested to learn.

Statistics from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) reveal that 2010 was the sixth year in a row that overseas sales increased, even in spite of wider economic problems.

Food and farming minister Jim Paice commented: "This is excellent news - showing Britain that our food and drink industries are real areas of strength and growth at the same time as showing the world how good our food is."

He also acknowledged that the sector will prove to be crucial to the country's economic recovery as a whole.

Recent figures from the OECD show that food inflation is growing considerably in the UK, as it currently stands at a rate three times higher than in the rest of Europe.