martlesham: A small company owner’s website has been given a boost today after one of TV’s top business brains advertised it on his Twitter page.

Theo Paphitis, one of the stars from the hit BBC series Dragons’ Den, posted details of Alison Prior’s website, kids-love- cooking.co.uk, on his page, which could then be seen by his 130,000 followers.

Alison, from Martlesham, started her company last September. It sells various cooking accessories and aprons to inspire children to cook creatively.

She said: “There has been a lot more people visiting the website than normal. I’ve definitely noticed a big difference. It’s encouraging because I run a tight budget, so this kind of exposure gives me confidence in my business.”

The company sets up stalls in summer fairs, particularly in primary schools, where they sell their cookware products, although these can also be ordered on her website. Every Sunday, Paphitis – a multi-millionaire – grants six businesses an advert on his Twitter page, which he posts himself.

Paphitis usually receives hundreds of these proposals a week, so getting picked is extremely hard.