A new farm shop is to open in Ashford high street today - despite tough Tier 4 restrictions hitting the town centre.

Thanks to its essential status, customers will be allowed inside the Farthingloe store, which is filling a long-empty unit opposite the former M&S site.

Selling a range of fruit and vegetables, the store is owned by Howard Richardson, whose family runs Little Farthingloe Farm in Dover.

The Ashford unit marks the family's first off-site branch having traded from a shop at their base in Folkestone Road, Dover, since 1982.

Opening times are yet to be confirmed, but the first customers will be able to visit the ex-EE phone store, which had been earmarked for a new Subway, from midday today.

Brown paper bags will be used over plastic and a bakery section is set to open at the end of January.

Mr Richardson - whose family has owned the Dover farm for 35 years - says there is no reason why his new venture won't be a success.

"Ashford didn't want another fast-food place in the heart of town," he said.

"And with the current Covid situation, it has enabled us to move in as we are not affected by any lockdown.

"I think the general public feels strongly about town centres and we will be selling affordable food which is good quality.

“The people of Ashford deserve access to properly fresh food and currently supermarkets just can’t provide that, whereas we can."

Elsewhere in the town centre, pizza delivery shop Fireaway and TK’s Fish and Chips have opened at the bottom of Bank Street.

They have filled part of the shop space under Trafalgar House.

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