Jeremy Clarkson’s ambitious venture into pub ownership has been anything but smooth sailing, as revealed in the gripping finale of the fourth series of Clarkson’s Farm, now streaming on Prime Video. The series pulls back the curtain on the chaotic opening of The Farmer’s Dog, Clarkson’s new Cotswolds pub, exposing a litany of setbacks that tested the former Top Gear presenter’s resolve and management skills.
The Farmer’s Dog, located in Asthall near Burford, Oxfordshire, opened its doors in August 2024 after Clarkson purchased the historic Windmill pub for less than £1 million. The venue, a charming 15th-century vaulted barn with panoramic views of the rolling Cotswolds, was previously a wedding and banqueting site with a solid four-star TripAdvisor rating. Clarkson, alongside his girlfriend Lisa Hogan, undertook renovations that included hanging a striking £20,000 chrome tractor from the ceiling, a gift from fellow motoring personality Richard Hammond.
Clarkson’s vision for The Farmer’s Dog was clear: a pub serving exclusively locally sourced British produce. From pork, beef, lamb, and venison to milk, butter, eggs, vegetables, and even the cooking oils, everything on the menu was to support British farmers. The pub also features a butcher and bottle shop, a bar, and sells merchandise linked to Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery. Mains such as sausage and mash and steak pie are priced between £20 and £24, with pints starting at £5.75.
However, the grand opening weekend coinciding with the August bank holiday in 2024 quickly revealed the enormous challenges of running a pub. Clarkson admits he miscalculated the timing, realizing too late that the bank holiday was a week earlier than he anticipated. This oversight compounded the stress, as he was simultaneously juggling the pub’s opening preparations with the demanding harvest season on his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm, often working around the clock and pulling all-nighters.
The opening weekend was fraught with problems: a staff walkout saw two waitresses and a pot washer quit after just one day, leaving others exhausted and stretched thin. Water failures forced the pub to shut its lavatories and switch to plastic glasses to conserve the limited supply. The roof leaked, the gas supply failed at one point, halting food service for several hours, and a man suffered a fall requiring surgery. Clarkson’s frustrations bubbled over during a tense meeting with front-of-house staff Sue and Rachel, who voiced concerns about the unsustainable workload and poor staff conditions, including the lack of a staff room, forcing them to use a portaloo.
Clarkson responded sharply, listing the endless to-dos on his plate—from fixing leaks and managing car parking disputes to dealing with neighbors and council regulations. “I’ve got plenty to be doing and I’ll get on with it. Thank you,” he snapped, revealing just how stretched he was trying to keep everything afloat.
The next day, Sue and Rachel resigned, but Clarkson quickly found a replacement in the head of sixth form at the local village school, showing his determination to keep the pub running despite the setbacks. Reflecting on the opening, Clarkson told co-star Charlie Ireland, “We’ve lost two waitresses. We lost a pot washer. After one day,” underscoring the severity of the staffing crisis.
Despite the chaos, The Farmer’s Dog has attracted large crowds since opening. Hundreds queued on opening day, drawn by Clarkson’s reputation and the pub’s promise of quality British fare. Yet, not all feedback has been positive. Online fans have criticized the prices, with some questioning the £24 cost for a pie and vegetables. Clarkson, however, defended the pricing and the pub’s ethos on social media, even going so far as to ban a fan from the pub after they complained about affordability. He explained that while some cows are his, most come from other local farmers, for which they pay a premium to support British farming. “If you don’t want to do that, fine. Enjoy your chlorine,” he quipped, highlighting his commitment to British produce despite the higher costs.
Clarkson’s frustrations with bureaucracy have also come to light. He has been waiting seven months for West Oxfordshire District Council to approve a seemingly straightforward application to formalize hard surfacing for staff and customer car parks at the pub. The application, submitted in December 2024, includes plans for new tree planting and hedgerow restoration. Despite no objections from Oxfordshire County Council or Cotswolds National Landscape, and support from a seasoned planning consultant who called the delay “amazing” and “unnecessary,” the local council has yet to make a decision. This delay has added to the operational headaches for Clarkson, who is eager to resolve parking and access issues.
Throughout the series, Clarkson has been candid about the enormous regulatory and logistical hurdles in opening and running a pub, which go far beyond the simple act of serving a pint and a meal. “There’s an enormous amount of regulation on food hygiene and safety. And then you’ve got staffing. You’ve got to try and find chefs, you’ve got to find waitresses, and that’s all very complicated,” he told PA. The timing of the pub’s launch during the busy harvest season compounded these challenges, pushing Clarkson to his limits both physically and mentally.
In the final scenes of the series, the core team behind Clarkson’s Farm gathered for a lunch at a nearby pub instead of The Farmer’s Dog, as they couldn’t fully relax at their own venue given ongoing issues. They raised a toast “to The Farmer’s Dog” and “to the farmers,” celebrating their perseverance and the pub’s survival despite the rocky start.
Clarkson’s journey from farming to pub landlord has been a rollercoaster, marked by determination, setbacks, and a fierce commitment to supporting British agriculture. The final episodes of Clarkson’s Farm season four, available now on Prime Video, offer a revealing look at the realities behind the scenes of his latest venture, blending humor, frustration, and heartfelt moments in equal measure.
