THE York website suppliers of British food to homesick Brits all over the world has clinched an exclusive contract with British Forces Post Offices, helping to create 30 new jobs.

The deal, which gives expatshopping.com founders Simon Aldrich and Richard Finch rights to send its true-Brit products like Bisto gravy and Twinings Tea to every Forces' garrison and base at UK postal prices however distant, comes as the two men start recruiting to cope with rocketing demand.

Ex-soldier Simon Aldrich said today: "Every British garrison and base has a BFPO number so that Servicemen can receive parcels cheaply. We are being offered the same privilege.

"If you include families of Britain's 60,000 Servicemen it means that we are better able to reach 180,000 people abroad and since the average spend with about £75 per person, that is a potential market of £13.5 million."

The new jobs will include a managing director, whose name the two founders are not yet prepared to disclose, "but he is someone who has successfully floated four companies in the past," said Mr Aldrich. Talks are also in progress with a potential new finance director.

But the bulk of new jobs will be pickers and packers at the website's warehouse in Osbaldwick Link Road, plus a website editor, and administration and call centre staff.

Until now, the two men have used Brookers Worldwide, the cash-and-carry subsidiary to source products and distribute them. Now much of the sorting will be carried out in-house at the Osbaldwick Link warehouse, with air freight orders travelling via Parcelforce.

Logistics company Bernard Group plc will organise the website's seafreight which can take 35 days to reach its destination, but at prices up to 65 per cent cheaper. The new intake of staff which brings the number on the payroll to 35, also comes as expatshopping.com has fulfilled a number of British embassy contracts, including a £68,000 bulk order from Washington DC, a £250,000 order from the Bangla Desh High Commission and even an order from our Katmandu outpost for £6,500.