S Poddar
Jeremy Clarkson, the star of Clarkson’s Farm, has just opened his rustic pub, The Farmer’s Dog in the charming Cotswold village of Asthall. But with its country charm comes some early, larger-than-life setbacks. The prices and wait times have been criticized by customers, while on the first day of operations, other issues like broken toilets were witnessed. However, Clarkson has not shied away from responding to all these complaints by calling for patience and understanding from his customers as he learns to overcome the challenges in the running of the pub.
Writing an impassioned column for The Times, Clarkson revealed the rude awakenings of making his dream a reality—a dream which includes using only British produce in the pub’s menu. The star’s patriotic brainwave that precluded ketchup, Coca Cola, or even coffee soon hit financial buffers. “I do ask, if you drop by, to remember this: Your lunch, if it arrives at all, is costing us a lot more than it’s costing you-so please be kind,” Clarkson implored, making an unusually candid admission of the vast expense attendant upon his British-only rule.
While his vision had been to have it a fully homegrown experience, this-all-buying-local-has become bitingly expensive. For example, Clarkson mentioned that British-grown black pepper would cost him about ten times more than the imported variety. “If I butcher one of my own pigs and turn it into sausages each one of those sausages will arrive at the pub costing 74p but if I buy imported pig meat then the cost of a sausage is 18p. It was the same story everywhere,” he complained. According to the revelation carried by the Express, this features financial challenges facing businesses which opt to feature local products against cheap imports.
Despite the high financial pressure, Clarkson is still very determined to help the farmers of Britain move ahead. “Now a business-minded person would look at these costs and realise that with British-only rules in place a hotdog was going to be priced at about £45 – but I’m not a business-minded person, so I just filled my heart with hope,” Clarkson said, joking even at a time when stars seemed aligned against him.
The financial reality of running the pub finally hit Clarkson hard. He even admitted that, though he had used an AI program to determine the average price of a lunch at a Cotswolds pub, a decision to match his prices accordingly hasn’t reaped the hoped-for results. Instead, Clarkson finds himself facing possible losses of up to £10 for every customer through the door.
This isn’t the first time the Top Gear star’s pub has faced criticism. There were earlier complaints when some fans who made the trip to the venue left disappointed when they found out that the kitchen wasn’t open-with little or no warning. A few customers also proclaimed it a “rip-off” and swore never to go again. Clarkson, on his part, has taken all these criticisms graciously, dittoing that this is what happens with an undertaking like this.
Along with the finances, Clarkson made known the utter exhaustion of readying the pub for opening day. Having worked 35 hours non-stop on a tractor over the weekend, he said it was great the initial chaos from the launch was finally starting to die down. Still, notwithstanding the challenges, his humor remains intact. He told the funny story of how one man, pretending to be a farmer, had succeeded in gaining access to the upstairs bar, reserved for “farmers only.”.
The future of The Farmer’s Dog may be in doubt, but little question remains about Clarkson’s resolve to make this pub work. To this end, he has devoted himself to crafting an honest-to-goodness dining experience-one decidedly very British in tone and tenor-even if, at times, the financial reality doesn’t quite agree with his dream. Without question, it will be a tough road ahead, but for the time being, Clarkson asks but for a little kindness from those who visit.
As the pub gradually gets its bearings, Clarkson’s frankness about what’s gone wrong backstage speaks to a man committed to his business and to the greater purpose of serving up local British agriculture. Whether the venture succeeds, only time will tell, but for now, the former host of Grand Tour faces the music with his trademark cocked eyebrow, a dose of humility, and a hopeful spirit.
