Lettuce pray for peas on Earth – a farm shop has created the world's first vegetable nativity scene.

With cauliflower sheep and baby Jesus made from a carrot, all the characters have been fashioned entirely from fresh fruit and vegetables.

Of course there was not mushroom at the inn, so the miracle took place away in a mange-tout.

Staff at Tulleys Farm, Turners Hill near Crawley, created the impressive scene to encourage children to eat more vegetables.

Stuart Beare, owner of Tulleys Farm, said his staff really knew their onions when it came to eating healthily.

He said “At this time of year we get lots of children who come for our sleigh ride through the woods to visit Santa in his log cabin and other family activities.

“As an independent farm shop we pride ourselves on supplying fresh quality produce and we thought a vegetable nativity scene would be a good way to get children to think about different types of vegetables.

“If we can help parents introduce children to new vegetables and get them to eat more of them that can only be a good thing.”

The Three Wise Men are in fact wise marrows, onions and apples with lemon crowns, Mary and Joseph are made from butternut squash and animals made from potatoes and parsnips.

Diane Simmonds and Sally Duguid, who work in the Tulleys Farm shop, created the vegetable nativity scene.

Sally said: “It’s been a real challenge to get the right produce and the characters at the right scale, but great fun too.

“Visitors to the farm shop have been intrigued to see the nativity scene take shape.”

It is not the first time the farm has hit the headlines. Each summer a different 600ft giant crop maze is carved for kids to tackle – previous designs have including a Native Indian and a Harry Potter character.

The vegetable nativity will be on display in Tulleys Farm shop until Christmas Eve.

Other family activities will be held at the farm every day in the run up to Christmas.

For details visit www.tulleyschristmas.co.uk or call 01342 718472.