West Sussex farmer visits Downing Street as part on initiative organised by Rishi Sunak's wife

Tim Lock took part in the ‘Lessons at 10’ series event – an initiative organised by Akshata Murty – the wife of Prime Minister’s wife, Rishi Sunak.

Mr Lock, who is based near Arundel and has been a dairy and arable farmer in West Sussex since the 1950s, was there as National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Education Farmers for Schools ambassador.

Children from Countess Gytha Primary School in Yeovil, Somerset were given a tailor-made lesson on food and farming.

The lesson introduced the 40 pupils to British food and farming, through NFU Education’s Farming STEMterprise project and challenged them to invent their own finger foods using a range of British ingredients.

The children also had to market their creations and explain the many benefits of using homegrown British produce.

Mr Lock offered first-hand insights into how he produces high quality, climate-friendly, nutritious food.

He said: “It was an absolutely brilliant experience on a number of levels.

“The NFU education department did a brilliant job of organising the whole thing, the kids were really engaged and the teachers were very helpful.

“Personally it was very special to be able to go into 10 Downing Street and to be a part of it.

“It is important for children to understand where their food comes from and to understand what farmers do and this was a really great way of doing that. I can’t speak more highly about the event.”

Ms Murty said it is ‘so important’ for children to ‘connect with where our food comes from’ and ‘experience great British produce’.

She added: “It was wonderful to welcome pupils from Countess Gytha Primary School to Downing Street for a special farming and food Lessons at 10 event.

"Thank you to everyone for coming and highlighting why we should back British farming.”

NFU education manager Josh Payne said the event provided an ‘exceptional learning opportunity’ for the children ‘to understand the importance of the vital world of British farming’.

He added: "It’s a brilliant programme, and it’s wonderful to see Mrs Murty recognising the value of teaching key STEM subjects through the lens of food and farming.

“It’s important to encourage young people and make agriculture relevant and interesting so they can become more involved in the countryside and rural areas as they grow older.”