Norwich-based technology solutions provider Proteo has completed a project with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage to improve its computer and communications systems.

River Cottage, the company founded by the broadcaster, writer and food campaigner, comprises restaurants and delicatessens and offers cookery courses, dining events and a select number of weddings.

But its Devon head office based at Park Farm near Axminster, has been stymied by slow broadband speed at the rural working farm creating problems for communications and computer systems because every email and database had to pass through Park Farm's limited broadband connection, restricting the messaging to the slowest speeds.

Now users are able to bypass the slow Park Farm connections after Proteo shifted key files such as email, calendars, and diaries to a remote 'cloud' system using Google Apps.

The system recently came into its own after a fire, which temporarily knocked out Park Farm's communications but meant that users could still use their computer systems.

Sally Gale, finance director of River Cottage, said: 'Park Farm is a lovely place to have a headquarters but sitting in a broadband black hole was causing big problems for our communications. We knew that if we wanted to open further River Cottage outlets we needed to make some improvements and I'm pleased with the solution Proteo installed for us.'

Dan Simpson, head of client services at Proteo said: 'River Cottage had the same problems faced by many growing businesses but they were compounded by the poor broadband service at their headquarters. As well as speeding up their communications the combination of a cloud solution with some new onsite hardware means River Cottage has a system which meets the demands of its users.'