Residents proud of Bognor's Phil Turner after his last hurrah in The Apprentice final

West Sussex residents had plenty to say about his appearance on the show, and plenty more to say about his pies, which have a long-standing and well-deserved reputation for quality here in Sussex, but national awareness of which exploded after last week’s episode.

During the final, which aired on BBC One at 9pm last week, Phil faced off against boutique fitness studio owner Rachel Woolford in for a lucrative contract with Lord Alan Sugar. Phil hoped to expand an existing component of his business called Pies by Post which, he believes, has the potential to make up 50 per cent of his income, and, despite a passionate pitch touching on his family’s decades-long history in the pie trade, it was Rachel who eventually won out.

Still, he has plenty of fans here in Sussex. “I like to see a local person doing so well for themselves, rather than a chain or a big business or something like that,” said Pamela Ring, who was just about to try her first ever Turner’s Pie, encouraged by dear friend and pie crust convert Chris Young.

"My friend recommended them six months ago,” she said. “She lives in Bognor and she kept telling me about them. Then when I rented a holiday home near here, I bought loads and they all went down very well. It’s not even just the flavour, they have gluten free options, vegetarian options, they cater for everyone.”

Although some fans of The Apprentice criticised Alan Sugar for keeping Phil in the show, despite a series of decisive defeats, people in Chichester thought he carried himself well throughout the course of the show; “I thought he was very honourable,” one fan said. “I hoped he’d win because it was a family business and it’s always nice to see them do well.”

"I’m not much of a fan of The Apprentice, but I watched to see if he’d get through,” added Janice Howe. “I thought he did excellent, and I thought he’d get it but, of course, at the last count, Lord Sugar wasn’t quite so sure that he’d listen to him.”