Cheese from the Canary Islands could appear on cheese boards up and down the country after producers launched a promotion to boost trade with the UK.

Spanish importer Brindisa is already supplying some of the more mature Manchego-style cheeses to the UK, where they are on sale at Selfridges. But now the Canary Islands' food production board, Proexca, is trying to boost UK sales by building up links with the Guild of Fine Food, a British-based promoter of independent food retailers and producers.

A team from the Guild visited the islands in July to find out more about the cheese on offer, and further trips are planned for next year. National retail director Bob Farrand said there was an opportunity for the islands' hard cheeses. "But I doubt whether the fresher cheeses would suit British palates," he said.

The fresher cheeses are hard to import, because they have to be eaten at three or four days old.