It's an unlikely setting for a business success story. But the anonymous-looking industrial unit based on the land of a diversifying farmer near Iron Acton is alive with frantic activity.

Welcome to the South Gloucestershire base for online store britishcornershop.co.uk.

Everywhere you look there seem to be warehouse workers shifting crates of HP Sauce, Walker's Crisps and stacks of Heinz Tomato Soup.

But the produce that this hectic business is really trading in is simply good old nostalgia.

The company sends thousands of pounds worth of iconic British goods around the world every week – serving a growing community of British ex-pats in every corner of the globe.

Managing director Mark Callaghan bought the business five years ago when it was just a home-based company started by a London family.

He has transformed it from a small business with an annual turnover of just £10,000, to the recession-defying business it is today – with an annual turnover of £2 million and a workforce of 15. But the latest trend noticed by Mark is a large increase in the numbers of orders from Afghanistan.

"The soldiers are out there and wanting a little taste of home," he says. "The reason why the business has been such a hit is because of the strong emotional connections we all have with the food of our childhood.

"Ex-pats around the world are keen to keep in touch with that part of who they are, and soldiers are exactly the same. They're a long way from home, fighting in difficult conditions. So it's little wonder that they and their families are ordering familiar comforts – things like Cadbury's chocolate bars or Walker's Crisps, which take on a whole new significance out there.

"We particularly get a lot of orders from service personnel with Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and Operation Telic in Iraq."

Mark, who has a special arrangement to send items to serving troops via the British Forces Post Office network, says he's seen a 20 per cent rise in these "nostalgia" foods being ordered for servicemen in Afghanistan in the past year.

"They say an army marches on its stomach and I think that's definitely true," he says. "We're sending more and more parcels to troops across the planet and their favourites are baked beans, crisps, British tea and cakes.

"I think it's vitally important to help keep the morale up of our troops stationed overseas, especially in Afghanistan. This year we are also offering hampers full of Christmas goodies to give them a much needed taste of home and a real boost during the festive season.

"We stock everything for a traditional British Christmas, including crackers, cards, wrapping paper, puddings and mince pies. The only item we can't supply is a turkey."

The company stocks more than 6,000 British food products, covering all the major brands found in British supermarkets.

The company also serves the wholesale market – stocking the shelves of British-themed supermarkets around the world.

"Although the global recession has slowed the numbers of Brits moving abroad, it hasn't significantly damaged our business," he says.

"The demand for British food from expatriates, British people working abroad and even people of different nationalities appears to be increasing. We've seen an incredible rate of growth during the past five years and the recent credit crunch has not affected that growth curve."

The 39-year-old businessman, who grew up in Yate, worked as a manager at Hewlett Packard for eight years, before going it alone in the world of business – initially with a car tyre repair company, before moving on to his present venture.

"I saw the britishcornershop.co.uk business up for sale on the internet, and I just thought it had real potential to take off and become something much bigger than a business being run out of somebody's living room."

For more information, visit the website at: www.britishcornershop.co.uk.