A British cheese maker has been forced to sell its business due to £600,000 losses caused by Brexit’s Traditional Tape Festival, welcomes the new deal with Brussels – but says it’s too late for four years.

Simon Spurrell made headlines when Britain highlighted export costs after exiting the single market.

"It's good news, but we could have been since day one. It's a shame, it took a long time to have this in 2020," he said.

His company's business model was upended overnight in Boris Johnson's intensive hard Brexit deals, with 20% of sales immediately disappearing.

The former prime minister decided to reject the EU's proposal for a Swiss deal to eliminate the need for veterinary certifications, including red meat, poultry and shellfish, as it means the UK is aligned with EU rules.

A version of the Swiss deal, which eliminates most sanitary and phytosanitary inspections, is now back on the table, hoping it will end in a year.

Brexit means Spurrell faces a £180 fee per veterinary certificate on retail orders on the continent, even for £35 cheese bags.

Initially, Spurrell was committed to providing his Cheshire Cheese Company with a £1m expansion, but was trying to avoid new trade barriers given the warehouse cheese on the continent.

But the cost was arduous, and he sold it to a larger enterprise with a distribution center in the Netherlands and to a legal entity in Germany.

He said: "They are exporting to themselves, but it still means that the UK has to pay 5% of corporate tax and pay 20% VAT to the Germans and have to pay the Dutch shipping costs so profits are tight. The deal may disappear.

He said that if not, it is huge news for small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Our biggest consumer market is our lost 27 neighbors, which are open again. This is a small producer for Brexit. The largest companies and supermarket chains are able to bear the cost.

"Now, we can stop fishing in this little pond and then project our net again. Everyone has been waiting for this event to happen. Thanks to the adults in heaven for returning to the room instead of trying to make the EU the person the British government cuts us from the market first and rejects the original SPS."

He added: “All the Conservatives are interested in tone and Sabray dance, not in the UK’s business.”

In its first year of Brexit trading, Spurrell lost £240,000 in wholesale and consumer operations in Europe, and the second year before deciding to sell it.

He said the alliance with Joseph Heler is bigger and it provides a strategic means to deal with expensive Brexit trade barriers.

He added: "If you are big enough, you can reduce the cost increase because the cost of a pallet of cheese can be distributed in 100 pallets. It will also benefit all EU customers as they can get local delivery rates."

Spurrell said the deal was for an undisclosed sum and was also good news for his labor force. All headquarters, production and warehouse staff will be retained while 14 additional full and part-time jobs will be created.