© Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Hundreds of people queued to be among the first customers at TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub on its first day of trading. 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.
The Farmer’s Dog, in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, opened to the public at 12:00 BST.
Clarkson revealed earlier this year he had paid “less than £1m” for the pub, previously known as The Windmill.
He told waiting customers:
“Every single thing, even the black pepper and the sugar, is grown or reared by British farmers, everything.”
The pub features a tractor hanging from the ceiling and serves Hawkstone beer on tap, which is brewed by Clarkson and the Cotswold Brewing Co.
It also houses an outpost of his Diddly Squat Farm Shop and an outdoor tent, named the Farmer’s Puppy, features a bar and kitchen with space for customers when the main pub is full.
A note on the door said only two people were barred from entering: prime minister Keir Starmer and Clarkson’s fellow Grand Tour presenter James May.
Clarkson bought the pub earlier this year after he lost a battle with West Oxfordshire District Council to run a restaurant on his nearby Diddly Squat Farm, but found himself embroiled in a row over his plans to allow greater visitor access to his farm and its attached shop.
The popularity of his Amazon show, which documents the workings of his a 1,000-acre operation in the Cotswolds, ignited interest from tourists in seeking out the broadcaster’s produce, with queues for the shop reportedly a regular occurrence.
County and district councillor Liam Walker said Clarkson had his full support for the new venture as it would be a boost to the local economy and tourism in West Oxfordshire.
“Jeremy has my full support with his next venture, and I want the pub to be a success,” he said.
