A CHOLMONDELEY-based business has seen their sales sky-rocket after becoming big in Japan.

Rutherfords, who make bespoke leather bags, has seen a 400 per cent increase in sales over the last year, with 70 per cent of orders going to the far eastern nation.

What started as a hobby in 2012 for Rutherfords' founder Alex Hughes soon became a quest to revive the almost forgotten art of handmaking English bridle leather goods.

Employing techniques and tools dating back 100 years, the former lawyer combined her husband's engineering background with meticulous hand-finished elements that give each piece its character and history.

Alex now employs four leatherworkers and has developed an apprenticeship programme with the University of Chester for fashion and design undergraduates.

Rutherfords sought advice from the Department for International Trade (DIT) on how to export safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

The business managed to create a socially distanced work environment, allowing it to fulfil orders from Japan and also enter new markets in the US and Europe, doubling their exporting destinations from four to eight countries, as online sales took off, and she is encouraging others to trade overseas.

"After completing a two-year apprenticeship with one of the UK's top leather craftsmen, I knew I wanted this passage of knowledge to lay the foundations of the business," said Alex.

"Leather luxury items often become family heirlooms and every piece we stitch together needs to encapsulate that sense of devotion.

"That sentiment transcends the business and I hope one day I'll be passing Rutherfords on to our talented team so they can keep the name and craft alive for many years to come.

"Anyone thinking of starting a small business has to be outward-looking and working with the DIT made exporting our products abroad so much easier.

"I would encourage businesses to contact DIT to understand how rewarding exporting can be, as it certainly helped us in Japan and subsequent markets.

"A trade deal with Japan will assist us in reducing our tariff and non-tariff barriers to continue to expand our presence abroad."