A HEREFORDSHIRE company has been endorsed by a business icon best known for his appearances on Dragon's Den.

Theo Paphitis has given a virtual thumbs up to Rococo Catering, based in Brilley, by inviting the company into his Small Business Sunday (SBS) Network.

This has seen its Twitter following increase by more than 40% in two days and attention on Facebook has increased too.

"Mr Paphitis set up this network through Twitter where he encourages businesses to tweet him on a Sunday," said business owner Eddie Cleal, who along with his wife Emma runs the business.

"Then on a Monday he retweets five companies he has given the thumbs up to.

"You are then invited into the SBS network. You are then on his website and there is a directory of businesses that he would recommend.

"Over the years this has got bigger and bigger. You become part of a network where you can get support and network."

The recognition from one of the country's top entrepreneurs is a far cry from the company's humble beginnings in London.

"The office was in the corner of my bedroom with bits of paperwork on the bed," said Mr Cleal.

"We had started getting established on the catering ladder and then we came to Herefordshire. We started outside catering seven years ago and it's built up and up."

The company, which is now 10-years-old, caters for a lot of weddings, as well as corporate functions.

"We are based in west Herefordshire - not too far from Hay-on-Wye. People come from all over to get married and the wedding scene here is huge," said Mr Cleal.

The business has been set up to provide a personal service and maintain a level of care and involvement in every event.

This takes the company all around Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, the Forest of Dean area, and Monmouthshire.