Latest news with #FarmersDog
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Big Brother star and food critic Henry Southan savages Jeremy Clarkson's Farmer's Dog pub as he moans about 'dry' beef and the overflow car park being 'too far away'
Big Brother star and food critic Henry Southan savaged Jeremy Clarkson's Farmer's Dog pub in a new TikTok video posted this week. The TV star and food influencer, 26, decided to take his dad to the pub near Burford in Oxfordshire to celebrate Father's Day on Sunday. But he wasn't too impressed with the food complaining that the beef and pork on his roast dinner where dry and moaned that the overflow car park was too far away from the actual restaurant. He penned in the caption of his video posted to TikTok on Tuesday: ' Jeremy Clarkson 's pub was… interesting.' He said in his video as he arrived at the overflow car park: 'It's like arriving at Glastonbury - this is the overflow car park. I am in a field far away from the pub and I am having to trek to the pub even with a reservation.' As he made his way to the pub he went on: 'This better be the best roast I have ever eaten to justify the pain of just parking and getting here. I am being a proper moaner right now I'm sorry but it's just crazy.' The TV star and food influencer, 26, decided to take his dad to the pub near Burford in Oxfordshire to celebrate Father's Day on Sunday He later added as he approached the pub: 'There is a massive queue out the door - do I have to queue in that even if I have a reservation for now?' Later filming himself eating his roast he said to his dad: 'You were right about the beef it is really dry!' Henry even looked like he was struggling to chew his mouthful as he spoke to his dad. He then tried the pork and commented: 'The pork is also really dry!' Henry then zoomed in on his plate of food as he pushed his roast potatoes with his knife to point out their lack of crispness. At the end of his clip he looked completely bewildered as he shared that the pub piano was playing the EastEnders theme tune. After the negative review some of his followers weren't too happy with what he had said - while others agreed that they had also found the pub food average. One said: 'Sir.. he opened a rural pub that serves British farm food not a fancy restaurant for the rich.' Another added: 'Such a positive attitude to helping the local British farmers...' A third said: 'booked busiest restaurant in Britain right now - angry when busy ?????' However one of the viewers of his clip agreed with him, writing: 'It's a weird vibe in there. Food is mid.' It comes after last September Jeremy gave a telling answer to a question about his struggling pub, The Farmer's Dog, when he appeared on Good Morning Britain. His boozer, which opened its doors last August, only uses produce from Great Britain- including even seasonings such as pepper and salt - all in the hopes of further supporting British farmers. However, this has left the former Top Gear presenter in a bit of a pickle as he quickly discovered the significantly higher costs for home-grown products. And it appeared The Grand Tour host was not up for discussing the recent challenges because when showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold enquired about it, he shut the conversation down with one word: 'Don't.' Alongside his motoring pals James May and Richard Hammond, Jeremy, 64, admitted that before opening the establishment, he was warned not to do it. Fellow presenter James said: 'It's making money, isn't it? And it's easy to run,' After the negative review some of his followers weren't too happy with what he had said - while others agreed that they had also found the pub food average Jeremy then quickly retorted and revealed the sage advice he ignored from friends such as James Blunt and Guy Ritchie. He said: 'No. It's properly difficult. He said not to get one. He said 'I've got one, don't get one,' and I got one. James Blunt also told me not to get one, Guy Ritchie told me not to get one.' It came after he confessed he is likely losing '£10 per customer' at his the pub in the Cotswolds because of his strict business model. The TV star said he hoped to make a success of The Farmer's Dog but added using only British produce meant that profit margins would be much lower. He said using pork from his Diddly Squat farm would cost 0.74p to turn into sausage to be sold at the pub. But if he used imported pig meat it would be 0.18p. He said: 'It costs us 0.74p to get a sausage into here, but if I buy imported pig meat it is 0.18. There is something wrong with the food system in this country.' As well as his financial woes, Jeremy revealed he has created a VIP bar at the pub, but it is just for farmers. The former Top Gear presenter said that only agricultural workers were allowed in the 'upstairs bar' at his boozer. People waited patiently for a taste of his £6 pint of Hawkstone beer or the chance to tuck into an £18 plate of sausage and mash at the opening. However, one disgruntled Instagram user slammed the prices as 'sick' and said: 'Really necessary to charge those prices? Absolutely ripping people off because it's on TV.' But Jeremy defended the prices and said: 'Every single thing was grown by British farmers, even the black pepper and sugar!' However, this has left the former Top Gear presenter in a bit of a pickle as he quickly discovered the significantly higher costs for home-grown products But buying directly from local producers and guaranteeing fair pay for British farmers means an increase in price for pub customers. Hawkstone IPA, Hawkstone Premium, Hawkstone Hedgerow Cider, and Hawkstone Cider all come in at £6 a pint, a half-pint will set punters back £3.10. Hawkstone Session Lager comes in at the fractionally cheaper cost of £5.50 per pint, which is the same price for a Hawkstone Pils, Hawkstone Breeze, and cask ale — halves of which are £2.90. The pub also sells cans of alcohol-free Hawkstone Spa lager for £3.10. Along with steak pie and mash (£19), other main courses include gammon steak (£19), sausages and mash (£18), as well as a vegetable and cheddar crumble (£15). Puddings cost around £8 with both apple crumble and cheesecake on the menu.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The women who were too much for Jeremy Clarkson: The aunt-and-niece duo who sneered at his Farmer's Dog pub enjoy the high life in the Cotswolds after parting company with TV star over THOSE umbrellas
They faced a backlash from viewers after Jeremy Clarkson hired them to help him through the chaos of getting his Cotswolds pub the Farmer's Dog up and running. Loyal fans of the TV presenter were not impressed with the efforts of well-to-do entrepreneurs Sue and Rachel Hawkins who were branded 'snobby' and 'rude' after a series of clashes with the star. The pub transformer duo - who appeared in the final episodes of the latest series of Clarkson's Farm - ended up quitting the project just 48 hours after the grand opening of the country hostelry. That appeared to rattle viewers even more with accusations Sue and her niece Rachel had 'jumped ship' when 'the going got tough' while one went as far as accusing them of being an 'awful pair of individuals'. Rachel, 40, had pointed out the pub formerly known as The Windmill was 'not fit for purpose' with 'too many issues to run a successful business' that included 'failing water, no toilets, no gas, leaking roofs, and struggling staff'. While admitting he was battling to overcome 'massive, massive struggles, Clarkson's biggest bone of contention with the high spending pair seemed to be the cost of three massive umbrellas to cover his terrace which, along with lighting and heating, would set him back a staggering £40,000. Despite their sudden exit, Sue and Rachel are unlikely to be spending much time drowning their sorrows, MailOnline can reveal. The hospitality entrepreneurs are very familiar with the quaint Cotswolds pub scene and are well known in the area for revamping and bringing new life to struggling establishments. And while Sue, 58, prefers to stay out of the limelight, Rachel, 40, is happy to share insights into her lavish life amid the growing list of A-list celebrities settling in the area. Rachel is well-established within the Cotswolds horse racing fraternity along with her long-term partner former National Hunt jockey Will Kennedy, 43. She frequently uses social media to show off her array of glitzy outfits at leading high society events of 'the social season' including Royal Ascot, The Derby and the Cheltenham festival, her favourite race meeting. Such is her passion for the finer things in life, Rachel has also run a company hiring out 'exquisite' hand-crafted British hats for ladies attending events ranging from Henley Royal Regatta to Glorious Goodwood and Buckingham Palace garden parties. She is said to have started the business 'as an extension of her own personal hat collection'. One of her most recent social media posts shows she has also teamed up with ITV racing stylist Sarah Kate Byrne. The stylist hailed Rachel as her 'beautiful sidekick' as she announced she was to curate the Good Clothes Show at Chelsea Town Hall earlier this month. Sarah Kate - who has styled presenter Francesca Cumani's outfits since 2017 - has also described Rachel as an 'effervescent blonde'. Rachel's appearances at leading race meetings have certainly not gone unnoticed. In 2015 she landed a trip-of-a-lifetime for the dazzling blue and white outfit she was wearing at that year's Goodwood Festival. Rachel Hawkins featured among the supporting cast of the latest series of Clarkson's Farm after being hired by the TV star to provide expert advice Her prize for winning the 'best dressed' contest was a holiday for two in Cape Town with a VIP day out at the races. As Irish-born Will - who had more than 450 winners in a 25 years career before retiring in 2023 - was busy racing, Sue accompanied her on the trip. Rachel later told how she was 'so excited' by her experience after meeting up with England cricketer Jonny Bairstow who she said 'is a friend of mine' and was there with his mother and sister. She ended up 'a table behind' cricket legend Ian Botham while she also got to rub shoulders with the late sporting icons Eddie Jordan and Lester Piggott. She said afterwards: 'We were looked after like royalty.' Last week MailOnline told how Rachel is set to make a tidy profit after putting her detached period country home for £2.8 million country home up for sale in a raffle. She bought the property - which is nestled in the heart of Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire - for £750,000 in November 2015. For as little as £10, entrants are being offered the chance to win the six bedroom house, which is crafted from classic Cotswold stone, and comes complete with stylish furniture. Organisers of the draw, Raffle House, promised the lucky winner of the competition would be able to have their own 'dream hom'e in an area where 'so many celebrities had chosen to live'. Alongside the original Chipping Norton set of the likes of Clarkson and David Cameron, more recent residents have included David Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres and superstar DJ Calvin Harris and his TV presenter wife Vick Hope. Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and Prue Leith also have homes in the Cotswolds while Beyonce and Jay-Z are also reportedly considering relocating to the area. Rachel and Irish-born Will lived there for a number of years with their five dogs. The purchase was made after Rachel and Sue bought a failing pub in the market town called the Bell Inn for just below its asking price of £350,000. They immediately began work on a £200,000 renovation and Sue once told how they were sprucing up the pub which needed 'new roofing, drainage, plumbing and electrics' by giving it 'the 'wow' factor' and turning it into 'a sea of caramel, leather, tweed and velvet'. The Bell became popular with jockeys and trainers who would entertain racehorse owners there and went on to scoop the prize of the nation's best turnaround pub at the Great British Pub Awards 2014. The pair went on to open up a bed and breakfast in the town and the following year they sold the properties with 13 'boutique style bedrooms' between them to brewing giants Young's for a 'seven figure sum'. The pair had previously transformed seven properties together including converting a 400-year-old building in Stratford-upon-Avon, which had previously been used as a dental practice, into a small hotel. Rachel has told how she was working as a 16-year-old bistro restaurant when she first teamed up with Sue who had began revamping businesses starting with a small fish restaurant in the 1990's. She first went to work for her aunt at the Fox & Goose pub in Armscote, Warwickshire, which Sue had turned into 'a stylish foodie venue' before selling it a year or so later. Sue once said she couldn't 'necessarily turn' businesses into 'a gold mine' but that she knew 'the takings and certainly the morale of the staff could be increased relatively simply and quickly'. As they got up and running they operated together on 'a 50-50' basis with Sue concentrating on 'design and set up' while Rachel 'took over operations'. Sue, whose father worked 'in the world of sales and marketing' says she was born in the inner-city area of Sparkhill in Birmingham, and once told how she started out selling timeshare apartments in Tenerife. But realising she wasn't going to make much money she quickly switched to selling her own t-shirts to fed-up tourists saying: 'Shove off - I don't want a timeshare!' In an interview with Warwickshire Life magazine she said: 'They sold like hotcakes. I took them round the swimming pools and bars and people were falling over themselves to buy them.' She was described in the article as 'an award-winning business woman whose motto could be 'no fun - no point'. Sue said that while she 'was very single-minded' she was 'always game for a laugh' adding: 'I couldn't see the point of something I didn't enjoy doing. 'I just enjoy life and I enjoy what I do. Admittedly I have had to be very determined at times but I never let that stop me from having a laugh, that's just the way I am.' Sue told how she 'travelled and worked her way around most parts of the globe over a six year spell' before returning to the UK and taking on jobs in London in pubs, bars. She began managing a restaurant in Stratford after the person the owners offered the job to pulled out the night before they were due to start. Sue told how she quickly settled into the role and it was not long before she was looking around for a place to run herself despite being short of money. She said she came up with a 'brilliant plan' - which may have also proved to be the inspiration for Rachel's raffle sale. Sue was selling a one bedroomed house in the medieval market town - and instead marketed it to buyers as 'a complete change of lifestyle.' She produced hundreds of flyers revealing along with the house she was 'throwing in' a soft top Volkswagen Golf and a crate of champagne'. Sue told how the property 'sold it in no time' and used the money to buy a Grade II-listed pub which, after a 'top-to-toe refurbishment' she reopened as Bar Humbug. After three years, the brewery made 'an offer she couldn't refuse' and once again Sue was on the lookout for new premises. She decided that her business strategy would be to overhaul a pub then put it up for sale once it was up and running - for the right price. She said: 'I love refurbishing the places, designing how they should look, working out what interior design fits with the structure of the place. 'It's what I do. I love doing it and can't imagine doing anything else.' And it appears, despite the disapproval of viewers, there's no hard feelings between Clarkson and his consultants over those umbrellas. On Tuesday, he posted a photo of the three huge umbrellas which now cover the decking at the back of the pub on Instagram saying: 'Turns out Sue and Rachel had a point. The Farmer's Dog did need big umbrellas after all!!' In response, Rachel shared Clarkson's photo on her own Instagram and replied: 'And behold... the exact 40k umbrellas that have been the topic of so much discussion. 'Not blocking the view and providing a year round weather solution with heating and lighting in order that 75 guests can dine comfortably on the terrace all year round … seems like 40k well spent?'
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Clueless diners at Jeremy Clarkson's pub say they are baffled by 'weird' rule when they sit down to eat a meal
Clueless diners at Jeremy Clarkson 's pub have been left baffled by the establishment's bizarre rule. The Farmer's Dog has been widely praised since it opened last year - with many customers leaving glowing reviews. However, some visitors were unimpressed after noticing several items, including ketchup and Coca-Cola, were missing from the menu. Clarkson's pub only uses Great Britain's produce to further support British farmers - meaning some common condiments aren't on offer. Although the former Top Gear host regularly discusses the importance of his strict business model, it seems some customers didn't get the memo. One reviewer complained that 'drinks are limited, no cola, pepsi, lemonade or coffee', whilst another said: '(I) asked for some pepper and was told, "sorry no!!". 'Ate 3 mouthfuls and that was enough'. A third person gave positive feedback before complaining: 'Sadly they do not have pepper or coffee - both items I really missed. But some visitors were unimpressed after noticing several integral items, including ketchup and Coca-Cola, were missing from the menu Clarkson's pub only uses Great Britain's produce to further support British farmers - meaning some common condiments aren't on offer 'It was strange not to have a coffee after my meal, and I always have pepper on my veg.' They added how although they 'respect' Clarkson's decision to use local produce it was 'extreme' to not have pepper and coffee. Clarkson's reluctance to make any small exceptions to the rule means he loses £10 for every customer who eats at his restaurant, as home-grown products are much more expensive. He said in a column for The Times: 'Now, a business-minded person would look at these costs and realise that with British-only rules in place, a hotdog was going be priced at about £45. 'But I'm not a business-minded person. So I just filled my heart with hope, asked an AI program to work out what the average price of lunch in a Cotswolds pub is and just charged that. 'It's possible that for every customer who comes through the door I'd lose about £10.' It comes after earlier this year Clarkson sparked shock after a viral video revealed he is charging £200 for a pie at his farm shop and pub. An Instagram video filmed inside the popular Oxfordshire Diddly Squat shop features an 'extra, extra large' meat pie which is priced at a whopping £199.99. A video, narrated by The Skeptics Take, showed the pie and price tag and said: 'Enough pie to throw at your neighbour for 200 quid.' The clip, which started off by showing the The Farmer's Dog sign at the farm, saw a visitor walk through the farm shop and reveal the prices of some of the goods on offer. 'I went to Jeremy Clarkson's pub and farm shop so you don't have to,' a voiceover states. The video shows how visitors to the pub must pay £2 for parking in a 'muddy field', which caused controversy among viewers. The voiceover told watchers that after paying for parking, visitors could choose from 'an array of overpriced souvenirs that will end up in your bin'. It then showed various objects available to purchase, including a Christmas candle for £22 with the branding: 'This smells like my Christmas balls'. It then turns to a stack of large pies on a countertop, ranging from large to extra extra large. While a large pie costs 'just' £46.15, the extra extra large version is on sale for a whopping £200.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jeremy Clarkson says running a pub 'more stressful' than a farm
Running a pub is "more stressful than running a farm", Jeremy Clarkson has former Top Gear presenter opened The Farmer's Dog pub in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, last said he had discovered "so many things" about opening and running a pub that you "wouldn't even consider".At the same time, he continued to run his farm near Chipping Norton - which is the setting for his series Clarkson's Farm - often without the help of contractor Kaleb Cooper, who spent part of last year on a nationwide tour. "When you and I go in a pub, you ask for a pint, you get a pint, you sit down, maybe have some pork scratchings or something, and it doesn't look that difficult," the 65-year-old said."But there's an enormous amount of regulation on food hygiene and safety, and then you've got staffing... that's all very complicated." Hundreds of people queued for hours to be among the first customers at the pub when it opened in August, with some telling the BBC it was a "social phenomenon".The pub's opening coincided with the bank holiday weekend, which Clarkson said was "way too soon" and was the "exact same time as I was doing the harvest"."I'd spend all day trying desperately to get the pub open and dealing with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of problems, then you get home absolutely knackered, and you have to get into your tractor and do grain carting through the night." Although Clarkson said running a pub was "more stressful than running a farm", he said he saw it as "somewhere where farmers could go, if it's raining on a Tuesday afternoon and they can't work on their farm, they could come and have a pint and meet other farmers".Cooper echoed similar sentiments, saying: "Farmers use the pub way too little, because they think they're too busy all the time. "Actually, they need to start using it a bit more and just go for a pint and a chat."It's important we talk, we've all got the same worries and the same stresses so therefore we ought to talk to each other about it," the 26-year-old fourth series of Clarkson's Farm releases later this month. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
