A Macclesfield distillery owner has put his business on the global stage during a visit to Downing Street.

The Cat & Fiddle's Forest Distillery joined more than 40 handpicked small businesses in London recently for Great British Pitch India.

Co-founder Karl Bond had the opportunity to showcase his single malt whisky and award-winning gin to several Indian buyers.

He was then treated to lunch with Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, at 11 Downing Street.

He said: "It was a fantastic day down in London.

"India is the world's largest consumer of whisky, so this was an amazing opportunity to show them what we do.

"The next steps are to send actual samples over to Delhi, and we would be so proud to see Macclesfield made products on the shelves of their luxury stores one day.

"To then have lunch with the Chancellor in Downing Street was the icing on the cake. I got to shake her hand and pester her about UK spirits duty being too high!"

Organised by Small Business Britain and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, Great British Pitch India looks to build connections between the UK's 5.7 million small business and Indian buyers, building on the momentum of the UK- India Free Trade Agreement.

Throughout the day guests were given curated buyer meeting slots to live pitch to a range of Indian businesses, with live mentoring and one-to-one help available throughout, including legal, regulatory and cultural workshops.

As well as live pitching, guests heard from speakers including Amy Clarke of UK Export Finance and Paul Lindley, founder of Ella's Kitchen, before an opening keynote by Sanjay Aggarwal of Spice Kitchen.

Following the event, business owners were taken to 11 Downing Street on a traditional red Routemaster bus for a reception hosted by the Chancellor.

There they heard from Indian High Commissioner Kumaran Periasamy, and HM Trade Commissioner Harjinder Kang as well as the Mrs Reeves herself.

She said: "Britain is open for business, and our landmark trade deal with India is unlocking new opportunities in every corner of the country - from retail and consumer goods companies in the South West to whisky distilleries in Scotland.

"British small businesses sit at the heart of our growth mission, and backing them to export and grow is how we are building a more dynamic, more resilient economy."

Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain, added: "The UK and India Free Trade deal offers huge potential for both economies, and we know that small businesses are an incredible engine for growth too.

"We are delighted to be the facilitators of business connections between our two nations, and to help small businesses in all kinds of sectors to unlock the potential of export and international trade."