The panel, which Ethnos says is the first of its kind in the UK, was recruited partly online and partly by a field force of face-to-face recruiters.

Managing director Hamid Rehman said: “For years we’ve been saying that the ethnic voice needs to be heard and now we have a platform to deliver their messages to the boardrooms of the companies that fail to recognise the importance of the growing population.”

Ethnos said it has already used the panel for studies looking at particular ethnic groups, and the general population. It can be segmented by ethnic group, faith community or other demographics.