Sussex pie company owner reaches The Apprentice final

Phil Turner bought the family business when he was 21

The owner of a Sussex pie company has reached the final of The Apprentice.

Phil Turner from Turner's Pies will feature in the final which airs at 21:00 BST on BBC One on Thursday.

Mr Turner is one of five people who are for fighting for a £250,000 investment and the chance to go into a business partnership with Lord Sugar.

The Bognor Regis resident said it was "really rewarding" to be in the final and that his goal had been to "make it to the final five".

He added: "I think after the journey I’ve had and so many losses, I feel as if I’ve probably had the toughest route to the final five that maybe any candidate has ever had. I feel really proud of myself."

Mr Turner said his parents are his business inspiration.

He said: "They started their bakery against all odds and they are my inspiration in terms of their resilience."

Mr Turner said his biggest business success was buying his parents' bakery when he was 21 and building it into a seven-figure profitable business.

The family-owned business started in 1933 when its first pie was sold at a hotel in Bognor Regis.