A POPULAR mobile farm shop has been named one of the finalists in the BBC Food and Farming Awards.

The Sussex Peasant, which has been trading for only a year, has qualified for the top three of the competition from an original entry of more than 2,000 competitors.

Founder and manager of the mobile farm shop Ed Johnston said he was absolutely delighted to have got down to the last three and admitted he was shocked bearing in mind the company is so new.

He said: “It was extraordinary considering our size and we’ve only been trading for less than 12 months.

“To be in the top three out of 2,000 competitors is a fantastic achievement because there’s a lot of competition.

“We want to thank our customers for voting for us.

“The support has been amazing.”

As part of the process, the BBC judges visited the truck as it was trading at the Pepper Pot near Queen’s Park, Brighton, on Saturday.

All the products are bought from farmers in Sussex and are picked up on Thursday and Friday to ensure they are as fresh as possible.

Ed, 30, from Brighton, comes from an agricultural background. Although he studied philosophy at university, he decided to continue his family’s tradition in the industry as he saw great potential in selling and promoting local and fresh produce.

He said his ambition was to drive people to eat and cook food that is local and well farmed.

He said: “At its heart The Sussex Peasant wants to change lifestyles and create a food and drinks concept with longevity.

“Being mobile we make it convenient and accessible so we can just trade when there are a lot of people, such as after school hours.”

Ed’s business partners include Sheffield Farms in Mayfield; Southdowns Dairy, in Rodmell; Brickpits Farm near Sheffield Park; the Traditional Cheese Company and Maynards Fruit Farm, in Wadhurst.

The Sussex Peasant travels to three locations a week. On Fridays it stops at Jubilee Square by the library in Brighton, the Pepper Pot on Saturdays, the Chimney House Pub near Seven Dials on Sundays and Hassocks Station on Monday evenings.

Ed is also planning to trade in Hove on Thursday evenings in the near future.

He said: “I read somewhere around one per cent of farm produce doesn’t get harvested and it is a waste.

“We have identified this opportunity because at the end of the day we are making food real again, we are educating people how and where their food is sourced.

“Every week I speak and meet with farmers to see what products are available.

“In this way we have control over what we buy, and we know exactly what we’re getting.

“We label all our food, telling customers which farm it comes from.

“Customers should know where their food comes from. All our vegetables are out of the ground for two to three days.

“Our farming is sustainable, our food is traceable, our approach is socially and environmentally minded.

“It just makes sense for Sussex residents to source their food from their own county. People want quality products, and that is what we supply to them.

The Sussex Peasant also sells home-baked bread, cakes and pastries and coffee beans.

The results of the BBC Food and Farming Awards will be announced in June.