Former Top Gear host turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson has confirmed his plans to open a pub in the Cotswolds – in spite of a recent calamity which saw him close his farm restaurant after only six weeks.
The presenter and writer, 62, was forced to close his restaurant at Diddly Squat following a battle with the local council, who denied his application to open a restaurant there in late 2021.
Clarkson appeared to have found a loophole in the law that allowed him to open a ‘pizza cafe’ in 2022, but he was issued an enforcement order shortly after.
The council claimed that the disruption caused by parking, traffic and toilets would be ‘visually intrusive’ to the surrounding Cotswolds area.
Meanwhile, residents complained about the heavy disruption caused by fans flocking to see the site made famous by Clarkson’s Farm.
Clarkson duly shut down the restaurant, but his light won’t be dimmed – announcing plans to open his own pub.
The presenter reportedly paid ‘less than a million’ for a grand country establishment named ‘The Windmill’ in Burford, Oxfordshire – announced as ‘under new ownership’ on June 4.
As reported by The Daily Mail, the historic pub will include British pub grub such as gammon, egg and chips.
While bar games are also on the menu, noisy TVs, fruit machines and the kind of bathroom signs that might offend Clarkson fans’ delicate sensibilities will not be allowed.
Following a few false starts – Brexit-related staffing issues, ‘a loft full of dead rats’ and ‘illegal’ toilets – The Grand Tour host is almost ready for his grand opening.
With a wedding reception apparently booked in for ‘a couple of weeks’ time,’ the star hopes to stock the taps with his own beer – the Hawkstone lager brand he part owns and provides the hops for.
‘I just needed the pub where this could all happen. And then, after I’d looked [at] about 14,000, I found just the place,’ he wrote for The Sunday Times.
Bad news for local ‘dogging’ enthusiasts, though – as the opening of his new venture meant closing down the nearby site where the activity had been known to take place.
‘I went to see West Oxfordshire district council, expecting no help at all, and blow me down, it was very happy to close the dogging site. So I was in business,’ he explained.
However, friends are more sceptical about the pub’s success. ‘As one friend put it, “Owning a pub is more daft than owning a farm. What next, you buying a cinema?”,’ Clarkson revealed.
The TV personality has found all-new popularity since the launch of his hugely successful Amazon Prime series, which is soon to air its fourth series.
The humorous reality TV series sees Clarkson as he attempts to run his country farm in the Cotswolds, assisted by farm worker Kaleb Cooper and his girlfriend, Lisa Hogan.
Fans of the show can see Clarkson’s Farm at work in Chipping Norton, where it attracts visitors from around the globe – to the frequent chagrin of local people and councilmen alike.
