The family owned firm has begun selling stuffed dates and baklava following moves by supermarket chains, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose to stock the Middle Eastern treats.

Zeina, which has a facility in West Yorkshire, began importing Iranian pistachios in the 1980s and is now the leading supplier of nuts, seeds and dried fruit in the UK.

Marketing director, Hussein Mehdi said: "Our baklawa is not as sweet as the Greek variety - it's more nutty. Pistachios are the main ingredient but we also use cashews and almonds. We're developing platters of them for cash & carry chains and smaller boxes for the retail market. We're also talking to the major multiples."

They are also looking to branch out into appetisers such as stuffed vine leaves and makadoos.