‘He’s hilarious’: Jeremy Clarkson fans flock to opening of Oxfordshire pub

Struggling from the effects of Covid and rising energy expenses, it seems like every week we hear about another pub sadly shutting down.

Against popular belief, on the A40 in Oxfordshire, crowds of people were lining up outside the Farmer's Dog between Burford and Witney. The grand opening day was a success that would make other pub owners jealous nationwide.

The owner of the Farmer's Dog isn't just any landlord - he's well-known TV personality turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson. His fame attracted many fans who lined up to visit the 2.5 hectare beer garden, offering stunning views of the Windrush valley.

The pub represents a new direction for Clarkson, featuring some ingredients sourced from Diddly Squat farm. This farm is the central focus of his Amazon Prime series Clarkson's Farm, which has been praised for shedding light on the challenges experienced by British farmers and the food sector.

On a lucky sunny day, Clarkson, who is 64 years old, excitedly came out of the front entrance of the traditional stone pub in the Cotswolds exactly at noon. He raised his arms triumphantly and announced, "We are now open!" The crowd cheered and he quickly added, "And just to clarify, we are not running behind schedule."

"He informed the audience that all the food and drinks available were produced by British farmers, except for the quinine in the tonic. Feel free to help yourself to a pint and some delicious food. Have a good time and enjoy the lovely day without any traffic congestion."

Clarkson hinted at concerns from certain residents in nearby villages, like Asthall, that the pub could bring in a lot of cars, similar to the situation at the Diddly Squat farm shop located roughly 10 miles away, close to Chadlington.

Last Friday, there were not many long lines on the roads nearby. More staff were brought in to help with parking on the site and in an extra parking lot in a nearby field. Both lots were getting full before the site opened at noon. It is uncertain if these changes will be permanent.

Since Clarkson had been promoting the pub opening on Instagram to his 8.5 million followers, there were a lot of people there, but the venue didn't seem too busy.

The ex-Top Gear host mentioned that the council in Oxfordshire had been really helpful. He has had disagreements with local authorities before, including his unsuccessful attempt to open a restaurant on Diddly Squat farm.

When questioned about his decision to pursue this new business opportunity, he explained: "I originally planned to open a restaurant on the farm last year, but it wasn't possible. So, I decided to purchase a pub instead of building a restaurant. And now, here we are."

Clarkson mentioned that they examined 40 different pubs before deciding on this location, which used to be called the Windmill. He also noted that there are no nearby villages to upset here.

In the bar, people walk past a fancy piano and a big old tractor made of stainless steel hanging from the ceiling. They can buy beer from Clarkson's brewery, Hawkstone, for around £5.50 to £6.50 per pint.

The menu at this pub includes classic dishes such as gammon steak with bubble and squeak, lancashire hotpot, and steak pie with mashed potatoes and gravy, all priced at £19. If you're not a meat eater, you can try the vegetable and cheddar crumble for £15.

Blake Jones, 41, and his girlfriend, Lauren Hanly, 34, were at the front of the line. Blake works as a cabin crew member and Lauren is a pub manager. They left their homes in Gloucester at 6am and arrived at 8am, four hours before the pub was supposed to open.

"We have visited the farms and tried out the brewery," Jones explained. "So this new project was something we wanted to show our support for."

Jones and Hanly had been noticing familiar people from the show all morning; Gerald Cooper, a specialist in building stone walls who is known for talking in a confusing way, 26-year-old farmer Kaleb Cooper, and Charlie Ireland, a real estate agent who helps Clarkson with managing farms, playfully called Cheerful Charlie.

Following the people waiting outside the Farmer’s Dog were Jack and Rebecca Dinsdale, who are married and have recently relocated to Putney in west London. They were accompanied by their dog, Zeus, who is a mix of cocker spaniel and jack russell breeds. They traveled for two hours to be a part of the line.

"I watched Top Gear a lot as a kid with my dad, and he always tells it like it is, right?" said Jack, a 23-year-old soldier in the Royal Logistics Corps. "It's great that someone is finally shedding light on farming and highlighting its significance."

"He's so funny," said Rebecca, a 25-year-old who has a job taking care of dogs.

The O’Brien family, consisting of David, Emma, Kaylah, and Egan, had a difficult trip due to a flat tire on their 225-mile drive from Yarm, a small town in North Yorkshire. They are currently staying at a campsite close to the Diddly Squat farm shop. The flat tire they encountered near Mansfield caused them to add an additional four hours to their journey, making it a total of almost ten hours on the road.

David, a 41-year-old manager in e-commerce, and Emma, a 44-year-old art teacher at a secondary school, both agreed that they all had a great time watching the show Clarkson's Farm. However, it was Kaylah who really pushed for the trip to happen.

Kaylah mentioned that she finds Jeremy to be very humorous. She also mentioned that she has developed a newfound appreciation for farm animals, particularly the sheep.

When the doors swung open, the Gardners - Matthew, aged 45, Zoe, aged 47, Isla, aged 23, and Jacob, aged 10 - were sipping on beers, ciders, and apple juice after making the drive up from Willand, Devon.

Zoe, who works in human resources, mentioned that Jacob really liked watching the show Clarkson's Farm, which they all enjoyed watching together. "It's informative," she stated. "We are all gaining knowledge from it."

The pub business would be happy to see so many customers if the Farmer's Dog didn't have such a strong supporter and following. In the evening, Clarkson unexpectedly shows up in the outdoor beer garden, which is filled with picnic tables and sunlit.

"Look, it's Jeremy!" shouts a customer to his son. As Clarkson makes his way through the garden towards the merchandise and butcher's tent, he is surrounded by happy customers eagerly taking out their phones to snap pictures.