What we know about Jeremy Clarkson's new pub The Farmer's Dog

Jeremy Clarkson's pub The Farmer's Dog is all everyone is going to be talking about in the Cotswolds this Bank Holiday weekend.

The former Top Gear presenter, 64, bought the pub for less than £1 million in Burford village, Oxfordshire which will feature on his incredibly successful Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm that documents his struggles and triumphs as a farmer on Diddly Squat Farm. Filming for series four has started and we know the pub will feature in the Prime Video show.

Here is everything we know about the opening Bank Holiday weekend at Clarkson's pub...

Big queues at Clarkson's pub

The Farmer's Dog opening on Friday, 23 August, 2024, and around 300 people had formed an orderly queue snaking around the car park and large beer garden to wait for the doors to be opened.

On the stroke of midday, the former Top Gear presenter appeared and announced to loud cheers from the crowd: "We’re open." And holding up his phone to show the time, Clarkson: "We’re also not late. Welcome everybody."

He was accompanied by his girlfriend Lisa Hogan and fellow stars from his hit Amazon show – Clarkson’s Farm – Kaleb Cooper, Charlie Ireland and Gerald Cooper.

Clarkson's pub menu

Clarkson unveiled his menu on social media ahead of the opening but there appeared to be no fish, gluten free or vegan options available. There was one thing that was bothering the presenter though as he was upfront with pub-goers about what he had "failed" to do. The star said he couldn't make every single thing British sold at The Farmer’s Dog pub because he couldn't not sell G&T.

He said: "I have tried my absolute hardest to make sure that every single thing you consume in The Farmer’s Dog was grown or reared by British farmers. And I have failed. Yes, the pork, the beef, the lamb and the venison are all British. And so is pretty much everything else. The milk, the butter, the eggs, the vegetables and the fruit. We even cook in British oils. But there have been some problems like, for instance, the simple G&T.

"You can’t have a pub that doesn’t offer a gin and tonic. But there is quinine in tonic water, and you can’t grow that in Britain. Sure, I could have served gin and water instead, but I didn’t think you’d enjoy it very much. Especially as, instead of a slice of lemon, you’d have been given a slice of turnip, or some potato peelings."

However, Clarkson has ruled out selling avocado and coca-cola at his pub. He explained: "You can, however, run a pub that doesn’t serve avocado or Coca-Cola, so we don’t." Instead, he's going to be offering fizzy drinks made with British grown fruit. There will be British grown tea, wine and Hawkstone too.

He concluded: "We’re delighted to be doing all we possibly can to support British farming and we’re delighted that you’re here to help us. Thank you."

The Farmer's Dog pub opening

The Farmer's Dog pub has fabulous views of the Windrush Valley and it is situated in five acres of gorgeous landscape. Clarkson has been drumming up excitement around opening the pub on Bank Holiday weekend. Doors opened at midday on Friday.

It was A Level results last week and Clarkson always shares a reassuring tweet to the students to remind them — despite his success and wealth — he got a C and two Us on his results day 46 years ago.

Again, he wrote on social media platform X: "Don’t worry if your A level results aren’t what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub. It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in." Social media was awash with many fans sharing their plans of travelling to see the pub when it opens.

Astonishing drone photographs captured the changes made to the pub ahead of the opening. The outdoors area has been transformed with a huge canopy and more than 20 picnic tables for pub-goers to sit to enjoy a beer. MailOnline reported that the marquee measures around 5,000 square feet. The tent has GT written out in neon orange letters, a nod to his former car show The Grand Tour, as seen in pictures.

Clarkson had openedthe pub before it was ready for a trial run when England were playing Spain in the Euros 2024 final. Pulling pints from behind the bar, the journalist looked at ease stepping into his new role as pub landlord.

At the time, he wrote on social media: "We got a bit over excited thinking that England might….So we accidentally opened our very unfinished pub for the game.. More news to follow of a real opening much later in the summer or autumn…" However, there was some fury when Clarkson binned England flags after our country lost to Spain.

Pub to feature in TV series

Cameras have been rolling for series four of the hotly-anticipated Prime Video show Clarkson's Farm. We can hope to see Clarkson's Farm back on the streaming service for 2025 as filming continues this year.

So far the TV crew have been filming at the farm and have even faced filming delays due to a helicopter flying over Diddly Squat Farm. As well as life on the farm, Clarkson will be showing off his latest venture the pub on cameras.

The presenter has been spotted at the pub with his TV crew in recent months. Clarkson fans will be taken on the journey as the presenter settles into his new role as pub landlord.

Clarkson described the impact of his new pub on British farming as a "tiny pin prick", but added: "If everyone does it, if all the farmers get together and buy a pub – as you can get a pub for chicken feed these days – it might work.

"If this works, it is a co-operative of farmers we have formed, it might work, it might not, I’m the trailblazer.

"At least Amazon pay me to find out…"

Potential problems

West Oxfordshire District Council councillor Liam Walker has raised some possible problems with the highways team ahead of the opening this weekend, with regards to the parking and the congestion.

He told Yahoo: "The parking is a concern and also the congestion, that's mainly my concern, we've had a lot of issues in the farm shop due to how popular it is. Every series of Clarkson's Farm comes out we see a massive boost to tourism and people travelling across the country.

"I've been up there a few times and you meet people who have come from Scotland and Wales which is just mind-blowing to be honest to travel all that way. They want to spend some money, shop and visit the local area which is great for Oxfordshire but it comes with the caveat that we get the added parking and congestion. Particularly this location due to the dual carriage way, a very busy dual carriage way."

At the pub opening Clarkson praised the local council. The former Top Gear presenter said the predicted traffic issues from the busy adjacent A40 had not arisen after working closely with Oxfordshire County Council.

"We looked at 40 pubs. We needed some very special things like a big car park, a big car park and lots of parking, and no little roads to get to it," he said. "There’s no villagers to piss off here. There’s no-one to annoy. It’s a good spot. The main thing everyone has been saying is that we will cause traffic chaos.

"We’ve worked so hard to make sure we can park as many cars as we need to. The traffic is flowing brilliantly. The council have learned their lessons and they have been really helpful."

Who owned the pub before Clarkson?

Jackie Walker, 79, was the former pub landlady who sold the business to the TV presenter. The pub's doors first opened in 1983 under the name The Windmill with her now late husband Alan. Back then, the couple had converted the barn - situated on a 750-acre family farm - into the pub as it is seen today.

It has plenty of history too as the place was used as a soup kitchen run by the famous Mitford sisters during the Second World War.

Formerly known as The Windmill, the pub had been known for its Sunday roast. The former pub landlady stepped back from her day-to-day running of the pub when her husband died 11 years ago. After that, leaseholders continued to run the pub.

In June, Clarkson bought out leaseholders - husband and wife partnership Barry and Vanessa Eason - who before the purchase had five more years on the lease. The TV personality bought the pub for less than £1million.