Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub draws huge crowds in Cotswolds

The queue stretches just before the roundabout, extending for several hundred metres along a narrow country road. With the official car park full, a man in a hi-vis jacket directs us elsewhere. We slowly inch through surging crowds from all directions.

This scene resembles the prelude to a music festival, yet it’s not Glastonbury. It’s The Farmer’s Dog, Jeremy Clarkson’s new venture in the Cotswolds. As my girlfriend observes, ‘This isn’t just a pub. It’s a phenomenon.’

Jeremy Clarkson has unexpectedly become a food hero. Known for his boisterous antics on Top Gear, he is now recognised as a farmer. Clarkson’s girlfriend, Lisa Hogan, who manages the Diddly Squat Farm shop, notes, ‘We never imagined the show [Clarkson’s Farm] would be this big. We thought it would attract a tiny audience.’

Jeremy’s new pub @thefarmerdogpub opens August 23rd at 12pm, OX184HJ 🍻
Give them a follow and a visit! #thefarmersdogpub pic.twitter.com/9fVKWL7Ea2

— ClarksonsFarm (@ClarksonsFarm1) August 20, 2024

Contrary to their expectations, the first series captivated nearly eight million viewers in the UK. The third series recently attracted an impressive 5.1 million households in just a week.

The show’s appeal lies not only in Clarkson, Lisa, and his team but also in its raw portrayal of farming’s brutal realities—endless battles with red tape, bureaucracy, and flawed regulations, often for minimal profit. Clarkson’s Farm has achieved more for British farming in a few years than other programmes have in decades.

Returning to The Farmer’s Dog, we navigate through the dense crowd, all waiting for a table (reservations are only for dinner). We sit on the new wooden terrace, overlooking a remarkably scenic view that seems almost too perfect to be real.‘We looked at 40 locations before finding this one,’ Lisa reveals. ‘The pub wasn’t for sale, but a cameraman discovered it wasn’t doing well.’

Located in Asthall, Oxfordshire, the pub serves food grown or raised by British farmers. Some meat comes from Diddly Squat, while the rest is sourced locally. There are no avocados, Coca-Cola, coffee, or ketchup; all beverages, including wine and tea, are British. ‘This doesn’t make things easy for the kitchen,’ admits Lisa. Nearby are Hops and Chops, a large butcher shop, the Hawkstone bottle shop (for Clarkson’s beer brand), and the Diddly Squat farm shop, all housed in an old green Grand Tour tent.

Though my perspective isn’t entirely unbiased (Clarkson and Lisa are friends), even critics must acknowledge Clarkson’s significant contributions to British farming. Despite not expecting culinary excellence (the pub only opened a month ago, and Clarkson and Lisa are not seasoned restaurateurs), the menu offers traditional pub fare.

On the door of Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub in Oxfordshire 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/k1eBbgwGn0

— James Harvey (@JamesHarvey2503) August 24, 2024

As we enjoy our first pint, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. A buzz grows, and all eyes turn as Jeremy Clarkson arrives. His presence transforms the room, with phones raised and applause following him. Clarkson greets a few people and joins us. ‘I saw the view and that was it,’ he says. ‘This place is costing a fortune. Who knows if we’ll ever make the money back.’ He adds with a grin, ‘We considered naming it The Dog Inn, but decided against it.’

People approach him, sharing how the programme helped them through tough times like failed crops, bankruptcy, and personal tragedies. They express their gratitude, turning Clarkson into an unlikely therapist.

Our meal begins with a smoked ham hock terrine, paired with sourdough toast from a local bakery. We have toast with buttery, garlicky mushrooms from Diddly Squat, topped with a poached egg. The menu includes shepherd’s pie made with flavourful lamb and Lisa’s herb-flecked sausages with mash. The standout dish is an impeccable steak pie with rich filling and perfect pastry.

For dessert, we have treacle sponge with custard and an impressive cheesecake. The food, like Clarkson, is straightforward and well-executed. ‘If you support British farming, you have to support British produce,’ Clarkson says. ‘All the meat and vegetables come from within 25 miles. The pepper comes from Cornwall, costing us much more than if we imported it.’

Jeremy Clarkson otworzył wczoraj swój nowy wiejski pub w Anglii… i natychmiast zakazał premierowi GB, Starmerowi wstępu do lokalu, mówiąc, że on i „jego nazwisko jest już na tablicy w holu, z zakazem wstępu”… 🫡 pic.twitter.com/fltBgLifct

— Tomek Niewęgłowski (@tomek525) August 24, 2024

At times, it feels like a quirky Cotswold theme park, Clarkson World, complete with merchandise. Yet their genuine support for British farming is evident. For example, Emma Ledbury’s North Cotswold Dairy Farm suffered from TB, wiping out her herd. Her milk is now used at Diddly Squat, and there’s a machine near the entrance where customers can buy it by the pint, with all proceeds supporting her.

The overflow car park is a field owned by a local farmer, who charges £2 per car. ‘It’s more profitable than maize,’ Clarkson laughs. As we head to Hops and Chops, the crowd parts for Clarkson. ‘Most people here don’t know about my car thing. They’re here because of Clarkson’s Farm,’ he says.
‘Right, I’m off,’ he adds as the crowd swells around him. There’s a harvest to finish, and the barley won’t cut itself.