Where does your food come from? It may seem like a straightforward question, but if you’re buying your groceries from a supermarket, I’ll bet you aren’t fully aware of the global supply chains your food travels along. And I’ll guarantee you don’t know the farmers who grew your food! That’s why I’ve been so excited to partner with The Sussex Peasant, a local farmer’s market in Brighton connecting farms and food producers across Sussex. Knowing where your food comes is the first step in eating a better, more nutritional, more sustainable diet.
As a sustainability professional, I’ve explored hundreds of eco innovations over my 10 years of writing. One of the first discoveries I made was locavorism – the act of eating within a 100 mile radius – and all the benefits that come with that. In partnering with The Sussex Peasant, it’s been a pleasure to re-root myself in this philosophy. Read on to discover the benefits of eating locally, as well as my experience of shopping at The Sussex Peasant during this year’s harvest season.
5 Benefits of Eating Local Food
There are many reasons to visit a local farmer’s market and eat locally-grown food. The Sussex Peasant is Brighton & Hove’s answer to a farmer’s market, popping up across the city each week with fresh, seasonal produce to sell. (They also host pop-ups in neighbouring villages of Ditchling and Lewes). The main reasons I like to shop at the farmer’s market are:
- High quality, hyper fresh food
- Reduced food miles and carbon emissions
- Eating with the seasons
- Supporting the local food economy
- Connecting with local food producers
In the dissertation I wrote about local food as part of my undergrad degree (a summary of which can be found here), fostering a connection with local farmers and food producers is an incredibly meaningful part of food culture. Personally knowing who takes care of the food you eat has been part of human life for thousands of years, and we have only really lost that connection in the past century due to globalisation.
In fact, investing in this kind of relationship with the food we eat, can even bring about climate justice and support regenerative agriculture. Today, most food has been commercialised; fields are the factories; their produce, our wares. This way of thinking has led to unethical animal rearing, rampant pesticide use, genetic modification, soil degradation and even desertification. By working against nature, we may produce larger, more uniform crops in the short-term, but we leave our planet with long-term damage. It’s why I’ve always tried to eat seasonably, and choose organic where I can. While having mixed crops and eating with the seasons is more traditional, it’s also much, much more sustainable.
Why I Love The Sussex Peasant
I moved to Brighton in 2020, when the country was in lockdown. It took until late 2021 before I really felt like I had gotten to know the city, and it’s only now, in 2024, that I really feel like I have found community here. Part of that comes from volunteering with Brighton Fashion Collective to host sustainability events in the city, and getting to know likeminded people through places like The Sussex Peasant. I like to visit the Kemptown Farmer’s Market every Friday, where I’ll undoubtedly see staff member Tom and chat through what’s new this week.
A Friendly & Accessible Farmer’s Market
The Sussex Peasant does a fantastic job at promoting the benefits of eating seasonal, locally-grown food, and pairing it with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Some farmer’s markets can feel a little exclusive, especially those that sell gourmet produce, such as Borough Market. However, I always feel welcomed at The Sussex Peasant. The team on-site are so friendly and knowledgeable, and any local producers who may have come along to sell their food are also great to talk to. Pricing is reasonable, especially if you go for the fruit and vegetables, which are comparably priced to supermarkets. On my first visit, I tried to buy the same groceries I usually would at the supermarket, and found the price difference was less than £5 (£34 vs. £39). Admittedly, the dairy, fish, meat, and speciality goods are pricier, but even then, not a huge jump.
High Quality, Fresh Food
After shopping with The Sussex Peasant for over a month now, I can attest to the great quality of their food. Fruits and vegetables stay fresher for longer – thanks to the shorter supply chains and seasonality – and they taste so much better too. My partner was astonished at how delicious the tomatoes were compared to what we’d usually get at the supermarket! This extends to much of the fruits and veggies I picked up too – crisper apples, leafier kale, giant onions, and more!
I enjoy getting creative in the kitchen, so I would head to the market with a loose idea of what I wanted, and start recipe building while there. With my first week’s haul, I made broccoli pesto pasta, then wild mushroom and broccoli risotto, and just this past week, butternut squash dahl. I was also warned that this week would be the last week that tomatoes are in season, so get ready for a tomato heavy recipe next week!
Getting To Know Local Producers
The other lovely element of switching to The Sussex Peasant has been meeting the growers, producers, and makers of the food I’ve been buying. This past Friday was their Kemptown Food Celebration, where producers came along to give out samples of their food and share more about their work. I got chatting with Maria of Sussex Seedlings Super Salads who shared their bestselling, super sweet carrot microgreens salad with me. She also reassured me that they would be available through the winter months too due to their hand sown, hand cropped, hyper-local, pesticide-free growing practices.
I also met Jaki of Perfectly Preserved, who let me try their limited edition Chuckleberry Preserve! This is a new type of berry grown in Herefordshire that’s a hybrid of redcurrant, gooseberry, and jostaberry. The jam is oh so tart, with a sweet kick, making it perfect on hot buttery toast or served with cheese!
And finally, I have a new obsession with Macarons by Dark! This Hassocks-based baker sold me on a box of 12 macarons after trying a sample, which my partner and I enjoyed over the weekend. If you ever spot her macarons at The Sussex Peasant, go for the raspberry, pistachio, or biscoff flavours!
Place Your Christmas Orders At The Sussex Peasant
For the ultimate foodie feast, I recommend ordering food from The Sussex Peasant! If you’re based in Brighton, Ditchling, Lewes, or a neighbouring area, be sure to check out when they’ll be popping up near you and make sure to put in pre-orders ahead of Christmas!
Have you tried The Sussex Peasant? I’d love to know how you got on!
