I spent the day at Jeremy Clarkson’s Farmer’s Dog pub – here’s what to expect
Jeremy Clarkson has been welcoming customers to the Farmer’s Dog since 2024
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub is becoming as much a must-see destination of the Cotswolds as the picturesque villages and grand country estates nestled among its rolling hills.
Fans of the Amazon Prime show will know the Farmer’s Dog as one of the ex Top Gear host’s most ambitious projects. After putting his TV motoring career aside to become a first-generation farmer, Clarkson snapped up the dilapidated, unsafe and rundown public house and turned it into a bustling restaurant that doubles as a living showcase for British farming.
After opening it’s doors in August 2024, the pub and its sprawling garden provided the setting for the first ever Hawkstone Harvest Festival.
Guests including myself, were treated to the first taste of the latest brew in Clarkson’s beer collection – Wild Thing – a collaboration with Groove Armada’s Andy Cato and his Wildfarmed regenerative food and agriculture business.
As well as the very drinkable Hawkstone beers and ciders, a three course menu sampling some of the best dishes was also on offer. Here’s everything I learned at the restored 15th century barn as a first time visitor…
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub: The Farmer’s Dog near Burford in the Cotswolds
The portions are properly generous – especially the mains My main course was venison served with potato, broccoli, goat’s cheese and seeds, and it was the kind of plate that feels filling without being heavy.
The food is so good that you will likely want to try out the deserts and starters to make the most of your trip. The Farmer’s Dog operates on a strict “all-British” policy, serving only food and drinks that are grown, reared, or brewed by British farmers, completely banning foreign ingredients. You won’t find any avocados or Coco-Cola here.
The Farmer’s Dog grazing platter is a strong start – and it’s built for sharing The Farmer’s Dog grazing platter came piled with cured meats, cheese, dip, tomatoes and bread, and it’s exactly the sort of starter that makes sense if you’re settling in for a long meal. We split it between four people and there was plenty to go round.
Wildfarmed flour gets a real spotlight on the table Both the starter bread and the dessert shortbread were made using Wildfarmed flour, which feels like a deliberate ‘farm-to-table’ touch rather than just a line on a menu.
You also feel great about eating the delicious extras too, Wildfarmed products are sustainably grown flours and baked goods produced through regenerative agriculture methods.
Dessert feels thoughtful, not tacked on The Cambridge cream -made with Cotswolds cream, strawberry and shortbread (again using Wildfarmed flour) -was a proper finish and looked very impressive on the plate
Hawkstone lager is the big selling point – but the ciders are the hidden gem Hawkstone is clearly positioned as the ‘you’re in Clarkson territory’ drink, but the ciders were incredibly tasty and genuinely unusual, especially the rhubarb one. Be warned it does go down every well
It’s an old pub, but it feels modern – and importantly, you won’t be left in the dark Inside, it keeps that classic pub cosiness, but it’s bright and welcoming, not one of those gloomy spaces where you can barely see your plate and are succumbed to sleepiness the minute you finish eating.
There’s plenty of variety when it comes to choosing your seating; from cosy nooks to open space dining areas that benefit from huge floor to ceiling glass panels.
The rhubarb ciders are a real gem
The portions were large
The garden is a huge part of the appeal While the pub is itself highly picturesque, the outside space has that “make a day of it” feel – deal for anyone coming for the atmosphere as much as the food and drink. The views of the rolling hills were spectacular. There are plenty of benches to take your drink outside weather permitting and soak up the fresh air.
