Recipe for £12bn export boom: Jammie Dodgers and Typhoo

Jammie Dodgers' biscuits, one of the most popular British brands (Alamy)

Global demand for traditional British tea, biscuits and sausages has seen food and non-alcoholic drink exports rise last year to top £12bn for the first time.

The export growth of 11 per cent – to £12.1bn – was fuelled by orders from emerging markets, with the five biggest in China, Poland, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Belgium, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said.

Among the most popular British brands were Wagon Wheels, Jammie Dodgers, pictured right, Typhoo Tea and sausages. Melanie Leech, of the FDF, said: "There remains considerable interest in British heritage brands."

China entered the top-20 export destinations for the first time with a 55 per cent rise in imports of British food and drink goods from 2010. The FDF said the increase was due to China's "increasingly westernised" diet.

More than 300 Chinese shops stock honey roast pork sausages made by Westaway Sausages in Newton Abbot, Devon. Its owner, Charles Baughan, said: "Exporting our products around the world exposes us to new markets and new customers who have different tastes and requirements."

Wagon Wheels, made by Blackpool-based Burton's Biscuit Company, are sold in Russia. Fish remains Britain's biggest export, with £466m sold abroad in 2011, followed by chocolate sales of £438m.