Jeremy Clarkson has described the pub he owns in Oxfordshire as a “total disaster”.
In a stunning admission, the former Top Gear presenter used his column in the Sunday Times to list the many issues affecting The Farmer’s Dog in Burford.
Hundreds of people queued at the pub’s opening in August and it still remains popular, as Yahoo found on a recent visit, but Clarkson said it is struggling to make money.
He pointed to a range of costly issues in his column, including customers stealing glasses, the high price of paying for parking facilities and dealing with problems with the outside toilets.
“Behind the scenes, then, everything is a total disaster,” wrote Clarkson.
“But the fact is that when you go there you just wouldn’t know. It’s a proper, traditional pub. By which I mean you’ll love it, and I’ll lose a fortune and develop a skin disease from the stress of running it.”
Clarkson said a special team had to be hired to chemically clean the garden toilets because of the state they were in, while 104 glasses were stolen by patrons on one Sunday alone. He said he spends £27,000 a month on parking and traffic marshals for the pub, which only uses British food produce.
Yahoo paid a visit to the pub earlier in December – this is what we found…
The Farmer’s Dog was popular before it even opened – with hundreds of punters queuing for hours on its very first day of trading.
But now, four months on are people still as excited about the spot in picturesque Burford, in the Cotswolds? In short… yes.
Sure, no one was waiting outside from as early as 7am — as had been the case back in August — but on a regular Thursday, fans of Clarkson had shown up to wander the site by around 11am. And by 11:30am, a queue had promptly formed outside the pub’s front door ready for its opening at 12pm.
We joined this queue which started at around 20 people and quickly increased to around 40. To queue for lunch on a random weekday — at a seemingly random pub just off the A40 in Oxfordshire — suggests you’re in for something special. We hoped that we were.
When its doors finally opened, we took our first step inside The Farmer’s Dog and were greeted with a certain charm. The place feels like a typical country pub — with exposed brick walls, a wooden bar, and a barn-style roof — but it also has its own quirks.
Immediately as you walk in, there’s a tractor hanging from the ceiling; a reminder of Clarkson’s fervent support of the farming industry. Behind the bar, there’s a blackboard listing the prices of Hawkstone — Clarkson’s own brewery range that includes beers and ciders — and various signs reminding customers that the pub does not serve ketchup or coffee.
This, Clarkson has previously stated, is because everything in the pub comes from British farmers and farms. Everything except for his tonic because you can’t grow a key ingredient — quinine — in the UK. And, as Clarkson says on his website, “You can’t have a pub that doesn’t offer a gin and tonic.”
We arrived for lunch and were quickly seated in the dining room decked out for the festive season with fairy lights hanging from the ceiling and a Christmas tree standing proudly in the corner.
We had initially hoped to try the ‘Christmas Menu’ advertised on the pub’s website but swiftly found out this was only served in the evenings — with nearly all slots booked up weeks in advance.
After a bit of disappointment, we were given an alternative set menu which seemed to be pretty good value. Customers can get two courses for £30 and three courses for £40 and this includes a pint of Hawkstone, a glass of fizz, or a soft drink.
While Clarkson attracted some criticism earlier in December for the pub’s price of a steak meal in the Farmer’s Dog restaurant, most of the customers we spoke to considered his food and drink well-priced.
Punters Patrick O’Sullivan and Shane Butler, who were visiting from Cork, Ireland, were particularly pleased with the price for what was on offer. Patrick, 35, said: “I feel like normally with celebrities they shoot the prices up. That’s what we found when we visited one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.
“But I think this was really good value. And you can taste that the ingredients are good quality.”
Shane, 38, added: “The atmosphere is great too – which adds to the experience. All the staff are very warm.”
Shane and Patrick were in England for a couple of days collecting a car – and decided, as fans of TV shows Top Gear and Clarkson’s Farm, they “just had to” sneak a visit to his famous pub.
This was a common theme. Jim and Leslie Quinn, from Northern Ireland, were visiting their son Nick, who lives locally, and were determined to make time for a quick trip.
Slideshow: See more of Jeremy Clarkson’s pub The Farmer’s Dog
Leslie, 50, said: “It’s really easy-going and friendly inside. The atmosphere is what stands out – although the drinks were lovely too.
“I think everyone just wants to come and visit to be there.”
Jim, 66, added: “You can tell everyone’s enjoying themselves. And I enjoyed my drink enough to bring a case home with me.”
Everyone was chatty and cheerful as the courses arrived – and the bar section of the pub quickly filled out too. One woman beside us was particularly pleased with her baked brie starter, remarking to the waitress, “Wow, that looks amazing!”.
Meanwhile, a couple nearby told their waiter they were determined to make it to dessert – even if they were “extremely full” from the first two courses.
The service was very quick with second courses, which appeared to have been pre-prepared, being brought out soon after the first had been finished. But the food was tasty and the speed meant eagerly awaiting punters were brought into the dining room for their turn.
Meanwhile, those who had finished could head into the bar for another drink. Here, we sampled one of Clarkson’s Hawkstone lagers which tasted pretty good to me as someone who generally doesn’t drink beer.
Admittedly, it was a Thursday afternoon and things may be different on a Saturday night. But it seemed like The Farmer’s Dog is a place where people come to enjoy a quiet pint or two rather than a few too many. This is probably in part due to the location.
The pub isn’t the easiest place to get to if you aren’t driving with no nearby public transport. And even if you are driving, Google Maps doesn’t exactly give you clear directions. (When you arrive, if the pub is on your left, take the roundabout’s first exit and an immediate left. You’ll spot the car park.)
After spending time inside the pub, we headed out to explore the grounds. There’s a huge pub garden overlooking fields upon fields which you can imagine would be idyllic in the summertime.
There’s also a farm shop onsite — which sells your expected vegetables, cheese, and meat — and a food van called ‘The Farmer’s Puppy’ which is an option for punters who don’t want to queue for a restaurant table.
The van sells burgers and ‘dirty’ chips as well as a lamb shawarma with all products, as I’m told by the chefs, coming from British farms.
As we make our way back through the muddy car park towards our cars (bring wellies!), we bump into Will and Hattie Cheyney, who have a more personal reason for visiting The Farmer’s Dog.
Will, 30, said: “We’re farmers and we’re really grateful for how Clarkson’s been speaking out for the community. We just wanted to come and show our support.
“I know he’s a farmer on the multi-million-pound spectrum — which people often use against him — but the point is that he’s speaking up for those of us who aren’t.”
Hattie, also 30, added: “Clarkson’s Farm was great because people who aren’t into farming tuned in and watched. And they related to him, as he wasn’t a farmer and was figuring it out. I think it helped people understand what we do. And he’s a familiar face to most people. So that helped get through to people too.”
Inside The Farmer’s Dog, on each table, there are coasters with a number on that farmers who are struggling can call for confidential support. It reminds you of one of the main reasons Clarkson was so keen to set up his farm — and his pub.
Will continued: “I think what’s so nice about the farming community is that everyone helps everyone in times of need. I felt that here. It was great.”
The Farmer’s Dog is expecting to be pretty busy over the next few weeks – with nearly all slots for Christmas dinners in the lead-up to 25 December booked up. They’re also expecting lots of their usual walk-ins.
When we were there, the tables were full and the bar was busy – but a bartender let me know this was a quiet day. “People have to queue for longer and use the overflow car park on a busy day,” he told me.
If you do plan to make a trip to The Farmer’s Dog, you can expect a traditional British pub serving traditional British food. By itself, it’s nothing overtly special. But what is special is how happy everyone seems to be there.
“That’s what I enjoyed the most,” one punter said. “Over the last few years, I haven’t really been to pubs. But I live locally, and I thought I’d try this one out.
“And I left with a smile on my face. So I’ve kept coming back. It’s as simple as that.”
The Farmer’s Dog can be found in Asthall Barrow, Burford, OX18 4HJ. It’s open Wednesday-Sunday from midday.
Reporting by Imogen Howse for SWNS.
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