Well-known broadcaster and farmer Jeremy Clarkson has spoken candidly about the unexpected complexities of launching his new Oxfordshire-based pub, The Hawkstone Arms (also known as The Farmer’s Dog), revealing that the experience proved significantly more demanding than he had originally anticipated.
Clarkson, whose name is now just as synonymous with agriculture as it is with motoring television, has been juggling multiple rural ventures since purchasing and running Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds. However, the leap into hospitality brought with it a steep learning curve.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, which premieres on May 23 on Prime Video, the 65-year-old shared insight into the pressures of preparing a pub for opening—particularly during one of the busiest periods of the farming year.
“When you’re a customer, running a pub seems straightforward—you order a pint, maybe a snack, and that’s that,” he said. “But being on the other side of the bar is a completely different story.”
Among the biggest challenges, Clarkson cited the maze of compliance and food safety regulations, as well as the difficulties involved in recruiting qualified staff—from kitchen roles to front-of-house. “Sourcing chefs, finding reliable wait staff—none of it’s easy. And that’s before you even start thinking about the day-to-day operations,” he explained.
The timing of the pub’s launch coincided with the summer harvest, adding further strain to an already full plate. Clarkson described a gruelling routine of managing pub-related issues during the day, followed by long nights transporting grain in a tractor
“I thought I could do both at once—get the pub ready for the Bank Holiday rush and handle the harvest,” he said. “It turned out to be more exhausting than I ever imagined. The stress levels were through the roof.”
The fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm is expected to delve deeper into both his pub and farm ventures, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of diversification in the rural economy.