Making Local the Easy Option

The Sussex Peasant is an innovative farm shop which aims to close the gap between the farmer and the consumer by making it easier to buy local produce. 

The shop operates from a small fleet of converted horse trucks which bring local produce to local communities in Brighton and Hove and the surrounding villages.

The Sussex Peasant was founded three years ago by young entrepreneur, Ed Johnstone, who wanted to run his own farm shop but couldn’t afford any premises. However, he realised there was a gap in the market which would benefit both local producers and consumers, so took his shop on the road.

The idea has been so popular that Ed’s business has quickly grown from one van to three – serving ten local markets in a mini revolution which he hopes will ‘change the face of food retail’.

Sussex Peasant now has a cooperative of 18 local producers supplying meat, fish, dairy, fruit, veg, bread, pasties, jams and flowers to people who would otherwise probably buy their fresh produce at a large supermarket.

‘We desire to change the face of food retail by returning food and drink to what it once was,’ says Ed. ‘Our enterprise is driving society to eat and cook food that is local and well farmed.’

‘We believe farming and consuming in this way is a social and cultural glue and undertaking this is key to underpinning key values of society, health and life.’

The Sussex Peasant also runs a local produce restaurant in different locations across the county and during Lockdown its vans provided vital food deliveries to elderly and vulnerable people.