Portadown-based Howell House, the cakes and biscuits division of Northern Irish bakery Irwin’s, has secured a £250,000 deal to export its Howell’s Handmade Jammy Joeys cakes to 47 Asda stores in Scotland.

The deal is the first time that Howell House has exported its products and is expected to boost total sales for the division to £600,000 per year. Howell House, acquired by Irwin’s three years ago, specialises in Irish-style cakes, making products under the Howell’s Handmade and Rankin Selection Cakes brands.

David Quigg, NI and Scotland Asda buyer, said of the deal: "Our local business with Howell House has more than doubled over the last year, so this really is another great accomplishment and the first step in what we hope will be the roll-out of further products from the brand to Scotland and the rest of the UK."

Irwin’s export business is worth around £17m in sales, with Nutty Krust batch bread and Rankin Selection Irish breads on sale in mainland supermarkets.