A taste of Portuguese food and wine was available to visitors to a special trade fair to encourage small businesses and consumers to build new contacts in the southern European country.

The Portuguese Offer, which took place at the Charles Burrell Centre in Thetford on Saturday, provided people with the chance to meet, sample and buy products directly from Portuguese producers.

Produce on offer included wines, liqueurs, port, fortified wines, chorizo, fish, other seafoods, coffee, granites and marbles.

There were also handicrafts, textiles, art and design and real estate businesses on show.

Joao Noronha, director of the Portuguese Offer, helped to organise the exhibition, which showcased 31 businesses including international transport firms to help with the transportation of goods.

He said many small businesses struggled to compete with big chains which bought goods from southern European countries, such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece and then sold them cheaply.

The aim of the Portuguese Offer, he added, was to enable small businesses to buy directly at producer's prices and import as many goods as they wished.

He added: 'We are trying to help the small businesses to work with producers in Portugal and also to show that we are here to work with the English people.'

Although the Portuguese Offer is Thetford-based, trade fairs have been held across the country, including in London, Birmingham and Bournemouth.

What do you like about Portugal? Email dominic.bareham@archant.co.uk.