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Jeremy Clarkson has responded to complaints about the prices of food and drink at his new pub, The Farmer's Dog.
Hundreds of people were seen queuing outside the presenter's new bar in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, as it opened its doors to the public for the first time on Friday (August 23).
The pub's restaurant offers two menus: a midweek main menu, consisting of British classics such as bangers and mash, shepherd's pie and Lancashire stew. At weekends, a carvery is served between midday and 9pm.
When the menu was first shared with the public on Farmer's Dog's Instagram page, Clarkson's fans commented that there were no prices on the menu, which could suggest that dishes would be more expensive compared to pubs in the area.
“You know it’s expensive when they don’t include prices,” one fan wrote on Instagram, while another added: “There are no prices. Always a concern.”
When one commenter joked on X/Twitter that they would have to remortgage their house to afford a round of drinks at the new pub, Clarkson replied: “It’s £5.50 a pint.”
At the time of the inauguration, the former Upper gear The presenter said all produce used in the restaurant's dishes would be locally sourced and produced by British farmers.
“The menu changes, what we have is what we have. There is no Coca-Cola, no coffee, other pubs serve coffee, Cornish tea, we do British food.
“Everything you consume here, every single thing, even black pepper and sugar, is grown by British farmers,” he told the crowd.
Clarkson added that she had tried the ham, parsley sauce and cream cheese on the menu. Some of the produce comes from her Diddly Squat farm, which is the focus of her Amazon series. Clarkson's Farm.
According Boys BibleMain courses range from £15 for a vegetable and cheddar crumble to £19 for the Lancashire hot pot.
As for smaller plates, chicken liver pate with onion chutney sells for £9 and garlic mushrooms with poached egg for £8.
Desserts, including apple crumble and cheesecake of the day, are priced at £8, while strawberry meringue is £9.
The pub also sells merchandise related to Clarkson's famous Hawkstone brewery. The most expensive item on sale is the Hawkstone jumper, which retails for £60, and there are also other items, such as an apron for £40, a goat-themed T-shirt for £28, a dog bowl for £35 and a bottle opener for £14.
Asked by reporters why he wanted to open a pub before the grand opening of The Farmer's Dog, Clarkson said it was the next best thing after failing to open a restaurant on his farm.
“We wanted to have that restaurant on the farm last year and we couldn't, and the pubs are all for sale.
“So we thought that instead of building a restaurant we would buy a pub.”
Clarkson has faced backlash from West Oxfordshire residents over the years when he has tried to expand his Diddly Squat farm project.
Some residents were concerned that the pub's existence would cause local traffic problems due to it being located next to the busy A40. However, Oxfordshire County Council has said it has been working closely with Clarkson and his team to reduce the likelihood of traffic problems ahead of the opening.
The presenter described the whole process of becoming a pub landlord as “terribly stressful” and said there are many drawbacks that “you don’t think about”.
