Clarkson’s pub is officially named The Farmer’s Dog, a country pub and restaurant located at Asthall Barrow, near Burford in Oxfordshire, owned by Jeremy Clarkson and opened on 23 August 2024 after extensive renovation of the former Windmill pub. The pub sits just off the A40 in the Cotswolds — approximately nine miles south of Clarkson’s famous Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton — and has rapidly become one of the most visited rural destinations in England, drawing fans of the Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm alongside countryside visitors, families, and food enthusiasts from across the UK and beyond.
What makes The Farmer’s Dog genuinely unlike any other pub in Britain is its absolute commitment to a 100% British-sourced menu. Clarkson refuses to serve anything grown, reared, or produced outside the United Kingdom: no Coca-Cola, no ketchup, no coffee, no avocado — just British beef, pork, lamb, venison, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and the pub’s own Hawkstone beer and cider, brewed using barley grown on his Diddly Squat Farm. The estate also includes The Grand Tour tent — the enormous black marquee famous from television — repurposed as an outdoor complex housing the Hops and Chops butcher, the Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen, the Diddly Squat Farm Shop outpost, and a Hawkstone drinks bar. In this complete guide, you will find everything you need to know before visiting: the pub’s history, what to eat and drink, how to get there, how to book, prices, parking, what to see on-site, and a comprehensive FAQ.
The History Behind The Farmer’s Dog
From Ancient Barn to Wartime Kitchen to Windmill
The building that houses The Farmer’s Dog has a history stretching back centuries, and understanding its past adds a layer of depth to the modern pub experience. The structure was originally built as a large agricultural barn serving one of the farms that once dominated the West Oxfordshire landscape in this part of the Cotswolds. During the Second World War, the building served a remarkable purpose: it was used as a soup kitchen by the Mitford sisters — the extraordinary aristocratic family who included Nancy, the novelist; Diana, the wife of British fascist leader Oswald Mosley; Unity, infamous for her friendship with Adolf Hitler; and Jessica and Pamela. The Mitford family’s ancestral home, Batsford Park, was close enough that this part of West Oxfordshire formed part of their social and charitable orbit. That the building where Clarkson now champions British food and farming once served wartime meals to local communities is one of the more remarkable historical footnotes in Cotswolds hospitality.
In 1983, the barn was converted into a pub and restaurant by Alan and Jackie Walker, who renamed it The Windmill — a name reflecting the agricultural heritage of the Oxfordshire countryside around it. The Windmill established itself as a popular local venue serving the communities around Burford, Asthall, and the surrounding villages, functioning as both a pub and a wedding venue. When Alan Walker died in 2013, the business was leased to tenants before eventually falling into disuse and being abandoned. For more than a decade, the building stood empty at the Asthall Barrow roundabout — a sad monument to the crisis in rural British hospitality that saw hundreds of village pubs close across the country.
Jeremy Clarkson Buys the Windmill
The abandoned Windmill at Asthall came to Jeremy Clarkson’s attention as he was developing his vision for what would eventually become The Farmer’s Dog. Clarkson purchased the property in 2024 for a reported sum of less than £1 million — a figure that, in the context of Cotswolds property prices, represented genuine value for what was a large, historic building with substantial grounds on a main road. The renovation was extensive and was filmed for Series 4 of Amazon Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm, allowing fans to follow the transformation from abandoned shell to functioning pub across the episodes of that series.
Clarkson’s vision was specific from the outset and reflected the farming ethos he had developed through his years at Diddly Squat. He wanted a pub that was genuinely and uncompromisingly British — not merely paying lip service to local sourcing while quietly importing ingredients from abroad, but actually serving only food and drink that could be traced to British farms and producers. The renovation also involved incorporating the famous black Grand Tour tent — the enormous marquee from the studio of his Amazon Prime show The Grand Tour — into the pub grounds, repurposing it as the commercial heart of a wider rural destination complex.
The pub was renamed The Farmer’s Dog, announced via Instagram. Clarkson had reportedly considered other names — the public had suggested “Top Beer” and “The Grand Pour” in an enthusiastic online response to his naming query — but settled on a title that connected to his farming life, his genuine love for dogs (the pub is explicitly dog-friendly), and the broader Clarkson’s Farm world. The name also subtly references the farming tradition of the working sheepdog — a cornerstone figure in British agricultural life.
Location: Where Is Clarkson’s Pub?
Asthall Barrow, Near Burford, Oxfordshire
The Farmer’s Dog is located at Asthall Barrow roundabout on the A40, the main road running between Oxford and Cheltenham through the heart of the Cotswolds. The official address is Asthall Barrow, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4HJ. The pub sits next to the roundabout on the south side of the A40, making it highly visible and accessible from the main road. The village of Asthall itself is a tiny, picturesque Cotswolds settlement approximately half a mile from the pub, while the larger town of Burford — one of the Cotswolds’ most charming and visited market towns — is approximately two miles to the east along the A40.
The geographic position of The Farmer’s Dog makes it an ideal stopping point on a broader Cotswolds itinerary. Burford, immediately to the east, offers exceptional antique shops, independent boutiques, tea rooms, and the beautiful Burford Church. The historic RAF Brize Norton base is close enough that on clear days, visitors on the pub’s terrace regularly spot enormous Boeing C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft performing their distinctive low, slow approaches to the runway — an incongruously spectacular bonus attraction that requires no additional entry fee. To the north-west, the Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester provides water sports and outdoor activities. Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury — two of the Cotswolds’ most photographed villages — are both within 20–30 minutes by car. The pub’s location essentially places it at the heart of an extremely rich day-out-in-the-Cotswolds itinerary.
Distance from Diddly Squat Farm Shop
One of the most important practical points for visitors planning a “Tour de Clarkson” is understanding the distances between his various ventures. Diddly Squat Farm Shop — the original Clarkson enterprise near Chadlington, Chipping Norton — is approximately nine miles north-east of The Farmer’s Dog, a journey of around 15–20 minutes by car depending on traffic on the A44/B4450. The Hawkstone Brewery, where Clarkson’s Hawkstone lager and cider are produced, is located near Bourton-on-the-Water — approximately 12 miles south-west of the pub, also around 20–25 minutes by car. All three are achievable in a single day, and the triangular route between them takes visitors through some of the most scenic Cotswolds countryside in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, with the Windrush valley, the Evenlode valley, and the Sherborne valley all passing through or near this circuit.
The Pub Building and Grounds
Inside The Farmer’s Dog
The interior of The Farmer’s Dog has been sensitively and stylishly renovated to honour the building’s history while creating a genuinely comfortable and welcoming pub environment. The centrepiece of the main bar is a tractor that was restored by Richard Hammond — Clarkson’s former Top Gear and Grand Tour co-presenter — which hangs dramatically above the entrance area and serves as the defining visual feature of the pub. Photographs of Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper from the farm are mounted on the walls, and the décor throughout reflects the working farming environment of Clarkson’s Farm: exposed stone walls, robust wooden furniture, agricultural artefacts, and a warm, unpretentious atmosphere that has been consistently praised by reviewers as genuinely comfortable rather than ersatz countryside chic.
The restaurant area seats a limited number of covers — the building is smaller than many first-time visitors expect, having seen it rendered larger by the cameras of Clarkson’s Farm — and the table booking system reflects this. Bookings for a sitting in the restaurant open well in advance and fill quickly: visitors planning weekend visits should expect to book six to eight weeks ahead for evening sittings and up to three months ahead for the most popular weekend lunchtimes. The restaurant operates seated sittings of approximately 90 minutes — efficiently managed given the demand, and generally long enough for a relaxed three-course meal without feeling rushed.
The terrace at the rear of the pub is one of its most celebrated features. Looking out over the sweeping West Oxfordshire countryside — rolling Cotswold hills, open farmland, and the wide Windrush valley — the view has attracted universal praise in visitor reviews. On clear days, the backdrop is genuinely spectacular: the kind of rural English panorama that justifies the word “pastoral” in its fullest sense. The terrace has numerous tables available for drinks without requiring a restaurant booking — which means visitors who have not managed to secure a table inside can still enjoy a pint of Hawkstone with what might be one of the finest pub views in Britain.
The Grand Tour Tent
The black Grand Tour tent — the iconic marquee that served as the studio for the first three series of The Grand Tour, Amazon Prime’s motoring show featuring Clarkson, Hammond, and James May — has been permanently relocated to the grounds of The Farmer’s Dog and represents one of the most unique elements of the entire venue. The tent is enormous: large enough to contain several separate commercial operations simultaneously, and immediately recognisable to any fan of the show. Inside the tent, visitors find four distinct operations: the Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen, the Hops and Chops butcher and bottle shop, the Diddly Squat Farm Shop merchandise outpost, and a bar serving the full range of Hawkstone products.
The tent opens at 9:30am — earlier than the main pub — giving visitors who arrive early in the day somewhere to begin their visit before the restaurant opens. The atmosphere inside the tent is deliberately informal and lively: it is an outdoor market vibe rather than a restaurant experience, with queueing for food and drink, communal seating at picnic tables, and the cheerful noise of what is effectively a very well-organised and high-quality food fair. This is where visitors who have not booked a restaurant table can still enjoy the Farmer’s Dog experience properly — the Farmer’s Puppy food is genuinely excellent, the Hawkstone bar serves the full range of drinks, and the shopping opportunities are extensive.
The Farmer’s Puppy
The Farmer’s Puppy is the outdoor kitchen operating within the Grand Tour tent, offering a casual menu of pub-style food that does not require a restaurant booking. It serves items including burgers, lamb shawarma, sausage rolls, and other hearty, British-sourced snacks and meals that are cooked to order and served at picnic tables in the tent’s communal seating area. Multiple visitor reviews describe the Farmer’s Puppy food as outstanding — the burgers in particular have received consistently high praise for their quality, freshness, and cooking. The Farmer’s Puppy is particularly valuable for visitors who cannot get a main restaurant booking but still want to experience the food ethos of The Farmer’s Dog rather than simply having a drink.
Hops and Chops: The Butcher and Bottle Shop
Hops and Chops is the on-site butcher and bottle shop, another operation within the Grand Tour tent, offering cuts of British-farmed meat for visitors to take home alongside bottles and cases of Hawkstone beer, cider, and other Hawkstone products. The butcher counter is staffed by proper butchers working in full view of customers — a detail several reviewers have highlighted as a pleasing and authentic touch that distinguishes this from a supermarket counter. The available cuts depend on what is in season and what has been sourced from local farms, which means the selection varies on each visit but consistently reflects the pub’s commitment to genuinely British, locally sourced meat.
The bottle shop side of Hops and Chops stocks Hawkstone products for off-trade purchase — pints or cases of lager, IPA, and cider that visitors can take home. This element of the site has proven extremely popular with fans of Hawkstone who want to stock their fridge at home after sampling it at the pub. Cases are available but are noted as being somewhat expensive relative to online prices, so visitors with car space may want to compare before buying.
The All-British Menu Philosophy
Why No Ketchup, Coffee, or Coca-Cola
The defining and most-discussed feature of The Farmer’s Dog is its absolute commitment to a 100% British-sourced menu — a rule that Clarkson applies with genuine rigour and which has generated considerable media coverage, debate, and admiration since the pub opened. The principle is straightforward: every ingredient consumed at The Farmer’s Dog must have been grown, reared, or produced in the United Kingdom. This means that several items that are standard in virtually every British pub are simply absent from the menu at The Farmer’s Dog. No ketchup — because the tomatoes, sugar, and vinegar required for standard ketchup cannot all be sourced British (though a later development saw a specially commissioned 100% British ketchup introduced, more on which below). No Coca-Cola or other standard soft drinks with foreign ingredients. No coffee — because no commercial coffee is grown in the UK. No avocado, no lemons or limes for gin cocktails.
Clarkson himself has explained the thinking with characteristic directness, writing: “I have tried my absolute hardest to make sure that every single thing you consume in The Farmer’s Dog was grown or reared by British farmers. And I have failed.” The acknowledged failures and exceptions are minimal and carefully considered. Tonic water contains quinine, which cannot be sourced in Britain — but Clarkson decided he “couldn’t have a pub that doesn’t serve a gin and tonic,” so tonic water is the sole accepted foreign ingredient. British gin is served (there are excellent British gins available) with British tonic water. The wines served are entirely British — English wine from producers including Chapel Down and Woodchester Valley in Gloucestershire feature on the list. Soft drinks are British-produced fruit juices including Bensons apple juice and other British-grown-fruit beverages.
The effect of this strict sourcing on the menu is to create an exceptionally seasonal, honest, and British eating experience. The menu changes regularly based on what is available from local farms and what is in season in the UK agricultural calendar. Spring brings lamb and early season vegetables; summer offers more diverse produce; autumn delivers game, root vegetables, and hearty pies; winter sees stews, braises, and the most warming pub food traditions. Dishes that have featured on the menu include sausages of the day with mash and onion gravy, Lancashire hotpot, steak pie with Hawkstone gravy, gammon steak with bubble and squeak, braised ham hock with Cacklebean poached egg, breaded Bath brie with pear chutney, and various seasonal desserts including poached rhubarb crumble cake, bread and butter pudding, and British ice cream from Cirencester’s own Dolcetti.
The Great British Ketchup Story
One of the most entertaining ongoing stories of The Farmer’s Dog’s first year was the ketchup saga. When the pub opened, the absence of ketchup was noted immediately and enthusiastically by customers — the sign behind the bar reading “No Ketchup” became one of the most photographed items in the entire establishment. Clarkson received thousands of requests for ketchup from customers who apparently could not enjoy a sausage sandwich without it. His initial response was characteristically blunt: a handwritten notice telling customers to stop asking.
The twist came when a Chatham-based condiment producer called Condimaniac took up the challenge and developed a completely British ketchup. The Condimaniac British ketchup uses tomato passata from the Isle of Wight, apple cider vinegar from Hampshire, salt from Essex, and British sugar and onions. The producer posted a video detailing the creation process — a genuinely difficult technical exercise given the challenge of sourcing all ketchup ingredients from British farms — and the result so impressed Clarkson that he gave it his personal approval. As of August 2025, Condimaniac’s British ketchup is available at The Farmer’s Dog, resolving the most complained-about gap in the British-only menu and adding another chapter to the pub’s ongoing story of creative problem-solving in the name of supporting British farmers.
Hawkstone Beer and Drinks
The Flagship Beer Brand
Hawkstone is Jeremy Clarkson’s own drinks brand, and it is the centrepiece of the drinks menu at The Farmer’s Dog. Founded using barley grown on Diddly Squat Farm, the brand has developed from a single lager into a comprehensive range of beers, ciders, and more recently spirits. The Hawkstone range served at The Farmer’s Dog includes several distinct products, each priced at approximately £6–7 per pint in the main pub (though original opening prices were slightly lower at around £5.50, and subsequent inflation has brought prices to around £6.75–7 by mid-2025, according to multiple reviewers):
Hawkstone Session Lager — a lighter, more sessionable version of the flagship lager, popular for daytime and longer visits. Originally priced at £5.50 at opening, representing surprising value for a premium craft product in this part of the Cotswolds.
Hawkstone Premium Lager — the flagship product, a crisp, clean, well-crafted premium lager that has been widely praised by beer critics as a genuinely competitive product rather than a celebrity novelty. It competes comfortably with premium continental lagers in taste and quality.
Hawkstone IPA — a more traditional, hoppy India Pale Ale that appeals to craft beer enthusiasts seeking something with more character and bitterness than the lagers.
Hawkstone Hedgerow Cider — consistently described in visitor reviews as the surprise star of the drinks range. Made with British-grown hedgerow fruits, it delivers a distinctive fruity, complex flavour that sets it apart from mainstream ciders. Multiple reviewers cite it as their favourite item tried during the visit.
Hawkstone Cider — a more conventional dry cider for those who prefer the traditional style.
Hawkstone Spa — a zero-alcohol lager alternative for designated drivers and non-drinkers, available in cans at approximately £3.10.
British Wine and Spirits
The wine list at The Farmer’s Dog is entirely English, reflecting the extraordinary growth of the English wine industry over the past two decades. English sparkling wine from producers including Chapel Down in Kent has won international awards and can legitimately compete with champagne; English still wines from Gloucestershire and other regions have developed a genuine following. The Farmer’s Dog wine list presents an opportunity to try wines that even enthusiastic wine drinkers may not have encountered before.
British gin is served — the gin distilling renaissance has produced dozens of exceptional British gins from every corner of the country, and the combination of British gin with the pub’s approved tonic water represents the only admitted exception to the all-British drinks rule. The developing Hawkstone spirits range, including a vodka produced in partnership with a British distillery, rounds out the offering and gives visitors an increasingly broad set of genuinely British drink options.
Practical Information: Visiting The Farmer’s Dog
Opening Hours
The Farmer’s Dog operates Tuesday to Sunday, closing on Mondays. The pub is open on all Bank Holidays. Based on the most current information from the pub’s website and social media:
The Main Pub (Restaurant and Bar):
- Tuesday–Saturday: 11:00am–11:00pm
- Sunday: 11:00am–10:30pm
- Monday: Closed
Food Service Times:
- Tuesday–Saturday: 12:00pm–3:15pm (lunch) and 5:30pm–9:30pm (dinner)
- Sunday: 12:00pm–6:30pm
The Grand Tour Tent (Farmer’s Puppy, Hops & Chops, Farm Shop outpost):
- Tuesday–Sunday: 9:30am–5:30pm
- The Farm Shop outpost within the tent: 9:30am–3:00pm (Tuesday–Sunday)
- Hops & Chops butcher: Thursday–Sunday 12:30pm–5:00pm
These times are subject to change, and The Farmer’s Dog has been known to extend hours for special events, bank holidays, and seasonal variations. Checking the official website (thefarmersdogpub.com) or the pub’s Instagram account (@thefarmersdogpub) before travelling is strongly recommended.
How to Book a Table
The restaurant table booking system at The Farmer’s Dog is managed through the official website. Given the enormous demand — the pub regularly has hundreds of customers on peak days and receives visitors from across the UK and internationally — bookings for weekend dining should be made as far in advance as possible. Most reviewers report needing to book six to eight weeks ahead for a Saturday evening, and some have had to plan three months ahead for the most popular slots. One January visitor reported making their booking on 1 December for a 30 January visit — and finding even that challenging.
Walk-in dining in the main restaurant is essentially impossible on weekends and very difficult on weekdays without an advance booking. However, walk-in visitors are by no means without options: the Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen in the Grand Tour tent provides food service without booking, the terrace serves drinks without booking, and the bar inside the pub is accessible for drinks on a first-come, first-served basis. The overall experience of a walk-in visit — particularly to the Grand Tour tent complex — is genuinely worthwhile even without a restaurant table.
Bookings for the restaurant are made through the booking section of thefarmersdogpub.com. A credit card is typically required to secure a booking, and cancellation policies apply. Tables are generally allocated in one-and-a-half-hour sittings — a schedule that sounds tight but works smoothly in practice given the efficient service and the focused, seasonal menu.
Getting There: Directions and Transport
By Car: The Farmer’s Dog is at Asthall Barrow roundabout on the A40, between Oxford and Cheltenham. From Oxford, the journey takes approximately 20 minutes heading west on the A40. From Cheltenham, head east on the A40 for approximately 30 minutes. From London, the most direct route is via the M40 motorway, exiting at Junction 8 (Oxford/Cheltenham) onto the A40 west — a total journey of approximately 1 hour 45 minutes from central London depending on traffic. From Birmingham, the M40 south to Junction 12 (Gaydon) then the A429 south and the A361 west towards Burford is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
Satnav: Enter OX18 4HJ or “Asthall Barrow, Burford.” The pub is on the south side of the A40 at the roundabout, clearly visible from the main road.
By Public Transport: The Farmer’s Dog is primarily car-accessible given its rural location on the A40. The nearest railway stations are Charlbury (approximately 10 miles north-east, on the Cotswold Line from Oxford and Great Malvern) and Oxford (approximately 20 miles east). Bus services on the A40 between Oxford and Cheltenham pass the roundabout, but services are infrequent and practical public transport access to the pub requires careful planning. A taxi from Oxford railway station costs approximately £35–45 depending on timing and availability.
By Bike: The Farmer’s Dog is accessible by bicycle from Burford (approximately 2 miles) and from the wider Cotswolds cycle network, though the A40 itself is not a pleasant cycling road. The quieter Cotswolds lanes offer alternative approaches for cyclists; the route through Asthall and along the Windrush valley is particularly scenic.
Parking at The Farmer’s Dog
Parking is available on-site in the main car park adjacent to the pub building — disabled badge holders are given priority access to this car park, which is the most convenient for those with mobility requirements. On busy days (essentially all weekends and many weekdays), the main car park fills quickly and an overflow car park in a field across from the main site is brought into operation. The overflow parking charges a nominal fee — typically £2 — which goes directly to the local farmer whose field is being used, a detail that Clarkson’s Farm fans will recognise as characteristic of his commitment to supporting local farmers rather than pocketing the car parking income himself.
The car parks close at 5:00pm, and vehicles cannot be left beyond this time. In wet weather, the overflow field car park becomes muddy, and 4×4 vehicles are recommended for the overflow option in poor conditions — a detail mentioned explicitly on the Diddly Squat Farm Shop website. Visitors arriving early (9:30am–10am) typically have less difficulty with parking than those who arrive at peak lunchtime between 12:00 noon and 2:00pm.
Prices: What to Expect
Based on information available from opening prices in August 2024 and subsequent reports through to mid-2025:
Drinks: Pints of Hawkstone beer were priced at £5.50–6.00 at opening in August 2024. By mid-2025, prices had risen to approximately £6.75–7.00 per pint, which multiple reviewers note is surprisingly reasonable for a high-profile Cotswolds destination — broadly comparable to or slightly below what you would pay at similar upmarket rural pubs in the area. Cans of Hawkstone Spa (zero-alcohol) were £3.10 at launch.
Food: The menu at The Farmer’s Dog is priced as a standard British gastropub rather than a premium restaurant. Starters range from approximately £7–10; main courses from approximately £14–20; desserts from approximately £6–9. The overall meal cost for two people with drinks is typically in the £60–90 range for a full three-course lunch or dinner, making it comparable to a mid-range restaurant rather than a fine dining establishment. Reviewers consistently note that portions are generous and the quality-to-price ratio is excellent.
Farmer’s Puppy: The outdoor kitchen in the Grand Tour tent is positioned as a more casual, lower-price option. Burgers and similar items are typically in the £10–14 range, comparable to a quality street food vendor.
Merchandise: The Diddly Squat Farm Shop outpost in the Grand Tour tent sells an exclusive range of clothing and merchandise including caps, hoodies, and t-shirts — items not available at the main Diddly Squat Farm Shop at Chipping Norton. Prices reflect premium brand positioning.
What Makes The Farmer’s Dog Unique
The 100% British Mission in Practice
The food mission at The Farmer’s Dog is not simply a marketing slogan but a genuinely pursued operational challenge that has required significant creative effort and ongoing supplier development. Clarkson has spoken candidly about the difficulties — the economic reality that his own farm-reared pigs produce sausages at 74p each while imported pig meat allows sausages at 18p each, meaning the pub is making a conscious choice to absorb higher costs in order to maintain its principles. This is not a casual celebrity lifestyle business; it is a deliberate economic statement about the value of British agriculture and the price consumers should be willing to pay for the environmental and ethical benefits of locally sourced food.
The success of this mission has attracted genuine admiration from within the food industry. Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens described Clarkson’s approach to menu sourcing as impressive: the commitment to not allowing any non-British produce represents a genuine supply chain advocacy that most chefs and restaurateurs would find difficult to sustain. The fact that the pub was busy from its first day of opening — hundreds queuing for hours in August 2024 — and has remained consistently in demand over a year later demonstrates that consumers are willing to pay a modest premium for food that genuinely connects them to British farming in a direct and honest way.
Kaleb Cooper and the Cast Connection
For fans of Clarkson’s Farm, visiting The Farmer’s Dog carries a specific additional dimension: the possibility of encountering the familiar faces from the show who have become genuine celebrities in their own right. Kaleb Cooper, the straight-talking Oxfordshire farmer who manages the agricultural work at Diddly Squat, is a regular presence at the pub’s events and has been mobbed by fans at various appearances. Gerald Cooper — the local Chadlington farmer and fan favourite whose prostate cancer storyline in the most recent series of the show moved viewers deeply — is another figure whose presence at the pub creates moments of genuine emotional connection between the show’s narrative and its real-world locations.
The soft opening of the pub in August 2024 was attended by the full cast of Clarkson’s Farm, with Kaleb, Gerald, Lisa Hogan (Clarkson’s partner), and others present at the launch celebrations. The filming of Series 4 of Clarkson’s Farm covered the renovation and opening of The Farmer’s Dog, making the pub itself a character in the show and ensuring that any viewer who watched the series will experience a meaningful connection between the on-screen story and the physical place when they visit.
The Hammond Tractor and Interior Details
The restored tractor hanging above the pub entrance — worked on by Richard Hammond, Clarkson’s former co-presenter on Top Gear and The Grand Tour — is one of the interior’s most celebrated features. For visitors with any connection to British motoring television, the presence of Hammond’s handiwork in the building creates an immediate sense of continuity between the various chapters of Clarkson’s television career: from the petrolhead world of Top Gear, through the adventure television of The Grand Tour, to the unexpected farming odyssey of Clarkson’s Farm. The tractor is not a prop or a decoration but a functional piece of agricultural machinery that has been lovingly restored, which somehow feels entirely appropriate in a pub whose core principle is the genuine support of British farming rather than mere performance of it.
The Local Context: Clarkson’s Farm Empire
The Three Stops on a Clarkson Day Out
The Farmer’s Dog sits within a wider network of Jeremy Clarkson ventures in the north Cotswolds and west Oxfordshire that together constitute what many visitors describe as a “Clarkson day out” — a circuit of three destinations that can all be visited in a single day:
Diddly Squat Farm Shop (Chipping Norton Road, Chadlington, OX7 3PE): The original and still the most visited of Clarkson’s ventures, the farm shop sells produce from the farm and local area — honey (bee juice), apple juice, seasonal vegetables, and local produce from partner farms. It has a bar open until 4:30pm and food is served on Saturday and Sunday until 3pm. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 9:30am–4:30pm. Extremely popular: queues are common from opening time.
Hawkstone Brewery (near Bourton-on-the-Water): Where Hawkstone lager, IPA, cider, and vodka are produced. Visitor tours and tastings are available. Situated approximately 12 miles south-west of The Farmer’s Dog.
The Farmer’s Dog (Asthall Barrow, Burford): The pub itself, with its restaurant, Grand Tour tent, Hops and Chops, Farmer’s Puppy, and Diddly Squat outpost.
All three are within approximately 25–30 minutes of each other by car, making the full circuit feasible in a day — though doing justice to all three requires an early start, particularly to beat the queues at the farm shop. Visitors who want to eat at The Farmer’s Dog and visit the farm shop in the same day should plan carefully around both opening times and restaurant booking slots.
Council Relations and Planning History
The contrast between The Farmer’s Dog’s smooth relationship with West Oxfordshire District Council and the troubled history of Clarkson’s earlier hospitality venture at Diddly Squat is striking. His attempt in 2022 to establish a barn restaurant on the farm — a nose-to-tail dining experience using farm-produced beef and meat — attracted huge early interest but was ultimately forced to close following an enforcement order from the council, which cited concerns about traffic generation and incompatibility with the surrounding open countryside. The council upheld its decision despite Clarkson’s appeals, and the restaurant was shut.
The Farmer’s Dog benefited from a completely different approach: a purpose-restored pub on the A40 in a location specifically designed for road access, with Clarkson working proactively with Oxfordshire County Council to manage the expected influx of visitors. The council went as far as setting up temporary speed limits on the roads approaching the pub in anticipation of the opening weekend traffic — a constructive and practical response that reflected lessons learned from the farm shop’s traffic management challenges. The pub has provided an immediate employment boost in a rural area with limited job opportunities, and local reaction has been broadly positive.
Notable Controversies and Stories
The Starmer and May Bans
No account of The Farmer’s Dog would be complete without acknowledging the bans that Clarkson announced — with characteristic mischief — upon the pub’s opening. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was declared unwelcome at The Farmer’s Dog, a decision consistent with Clarkson’s vocal criticism of the Labour government’s agricultural policies, particularly the inheritance tax changes affecting family farms announced in the autumn 2024 budget. The ban was reported widely in national media and added to the political dimension of the pub’s opening in a way that Clarkson — never shy of controversy — clearly enjoyed.
James May, Clarkson’s Grand Tour colleague and friend of decades, was also banned — reportedly in connection with the conclusion of The Grand Tour relationship. May, characteristically unruffled, responded that he wasn’t bothered as he has his own pub anyway. The ban of a local resident named Maddy Hornby attracted more localised media coverage and appeared to relate to a local planning dispute. In a more positive political development, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was invited to The Farmer’s Dog in December 2024 — a contrast to the Starmer exclusion that reflected Clarkson’s alignment with farmers’ concerns about the inheritance tax policy.
The Red Bull Formula 1 Christmas Party
In one of the more unexpected celebrity endorsements in British pub history, the Red Bull Formula 1 racing team chose The Farmer’s Dog for their 2024 Christmas party meal — an event reported widely in motoring media and which served as an extraordinary piece of organic publicity for the pub. The Red Bull team, at the time the dominant force in Formula 1, choosing to hold their seasonal celebrations at a Cotswolds pub a little over a year old demonstrated both the pub’s genuine quality and the reach of Clarkson’s fame into the worlds beyond British terrestrial television.
Visitor Experience: What People Actually Say
TripAdvisor and Trustpilot Reviews in Summary
The Farmer’s Dog has accumulated substantial visitor feedback across multiple review platforms, and the consensus picture is clear: most visitors leave very satisfied, with the most common complaints relating to the logistics of visiting a wildly popular rural destination rather than the quality of food, drink, or service. On TripAdvisor, the pub has maintained strong ratings, with reviewers consistently praising the food quality, the stunning views from the terrace, the friendly staff, and the overall atmosphere. On Trustpilot, the picture is broadly similar.
Positive themes that appear repeatedly across hundreds of reviews include the genuine quality of the food — “the steak pie was amazing, the pastry was perfect and the meat filling was chunky, tender and delicious” is representative of the language used for the main course dishes. The Hawkstone beer and Hedgerow Cider receive enthusiastic praise. The staff are universally described as friendly, professional, and warm — “the staff are exceptionally nice to deal with” and “really friendly and helpful” appear regularly. The views from the terrace are described with adjectives including “stunning,” “panoramic,” and “spectacular.” The tractor hanging in the pub interior — Hammond’s restored showpiece — always gets a mention.
The most consistent criticism is logistical: queues, parking congestion on peak days, and the difficulty of getting a restaurant booking. “The queue for the actual pub was horrendous, over 100 people,” one visitor noted, though they immediately followed up by saying the Grand Tour tent and outdoor option were an excellent alternative. Some reviewers mention the 90-minute table sitting as feeling rushed for a three-course meal, though the consistent counterpoint is that the kitchen and staff manage the timing so efficiently that most parties finish comfortably within the window. One reviewer noted their table reservation was 1pm–2:30pm and they finished “within an hour” without feeling rushed — a testament to the well-organised service.
What to Do If You Can’t Get a Table
One of the most practical pieces of advice from experienced visitors is to frame a table-less visit not as a disappointment but as a different kind of experience — one that, for the right type of visitor, may actually be preferable. Arriving early (9:30am when the tent opens) allows exploration of the Grand Tour tent in relative peace before the main crowds arrive. The Hops and Chops butcher is worth spending time in — the quality of the meat on offer, cut in front of you by working butchers, is impressive, and a visit here combined with a purchase to take home makes the trip feel productive beyond the on-site eating and drinking.
The Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen provides a genuinely good food option without any booking requirement. The burgers and lamb shawarma that have featured on its menu have received consistently strong reviews, and eating at a picnic table in the tent or on the terrace while looking out over the Cotswolds countryside is an entirely pleasant experience. The Hawkstone bar in the tent is efficient and serves the full range. And the terrace attached to the main pub building is open for drinks without a restaurant booking — meaning you can sit with a pint of Hedgerow Cider and that view, without having managed to get a table inside.
The Broader Significance: Why The Farmer’s Dog Matters
Celebrity Pub Culture and Its Track Record
The history of celebrity-owned pubs in Britain is not entirely encouraging. Several high-profile celebrity pub ventures have failed to outlast the initial burst of interest: openings characterised by long queues and enormous media attention followed by a sharp drop-off as the novelty wore off and the operational realities of running a successful pub — consistent quality, staffing, financial management — proved more demanding than the celebrity image suggested. The critical question for any celebrity-owned venue is whether it delivers a genuinely good experience for customers rather than merely trading on name recognition.
The Farmer’s Dog’s one-year performance — sustained high demand, consistently positive reviews, and the development of a booking system that manages demand rather than simply struggling under it — suggests it is on the positive side of that historic equation. The key differentiating factors are the genuine quality of the food and drink, the unique selling proposition of the all-British sourcing that gives the pub a coherent and compelling identity, and the connection to the Clarkson’s Farm television series that provides an ongoing audience development engine. Every series of Clarkson’s Farm introduces new viewers who will naturally want to visit the physical locations associated with the show.
Supporting British Farming
The deeper purpose of The Farmer’s Dog, as Clarkson has articulated it explicitly, is not simply commercial success but advocacy for British farming. By creating a high-profile, high-demand venue that exclusively uses British-sourced produce and charges prices that reflect the actual cost of that sourcing, the pub makes a visible economic argument that British food is worth paying properly for. The ketchup saga — commissioning a producer to develop an entirely British ketchup rather than simply giving up and buying Heinz — is a microcosm of this philosophy: if it can be done British, make it British, even if it requires genuine effort and problem-solving.
This advocacy connects the pub directly to the central message of Clarkson’s Farm as a television series. The show’s emotional power comes from its honest portrayal of the extraordinary difficulty of British farming — the weather, the economics, the bureaucracy, the physical demands — and its cast of local farmers who are depicted with genuine affection and respect. The Farmer’s Dog is the commercial extension of that advocacy: a place where consumers can spend money that directly supports British farms and the people who work them. Whether that mission changes anything at the structural level of British agricultural economics is a much larger question, but at the individual farm level, the visibility and economic activity the Clarkson ecosystem creates for farmers in the Chipping Norton and Burford area has been genuinely significant.
What the Farmer’s Dog Cookbook Tells Us
The publication of The Farmer’s Dog Cookbook — a collection of recipes inspired by the pub’s British-only sourcing philosophy — extends the reach of the pub’s mission beyond West Oxfordshire and into kitchens across the country. The cookbook, which went on sale in 2025, provides readers with recipes and guidance on how to source and cook with British produce at home, celebrating the same seasonal, farm-to-table ethos that drives the pub menu. For visitors who have eaten at the pub and want to recreate the experience at home, or for those who cannot make the journey to Burford but want to engage with the pub’s philosophy, the cookbook provides a genuine continuation of the Farmer’s Dog project.
The existence of a cookbook also speaks to the ambition behind the enterprise. This is not a celebrity vanity project that will be abandoned when the next television series comes along; it is the development of a coherent food brand with multiple touchpoints — the pub itself, the television coverage, the cookbook, the online merchandise shop, the beer and cider products available nationally — that collectively promote a serious and sustained vision for British food culture.
FAQs
What is the name of Clarkson’s pub?
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub is officially named The Farmer’s Dog. It was previously known as The Windmill before Clarkson purchased and renamed it. The pub is located at Asthall Barrow, near Burford in Oxfordshire, and opened on 23 August 2024. Before Clarkson renamed it, he reportedly turned down fan suggestions including “Top Beer” and “The Grand Pour,” settling on the farming-themed name that connects to his Clarkson’s Farm identity.
Where is Clarkson’s pub?
The Farmer’s Dog is located at Asthall Barrow roundabout on the A40 near Burford, West Oxfordshire. The full postcode is OX18 4HJ. It sits approximately nine miles south of Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton, and about two miles west of Burford town centre. It is on the A40, the main road between Oxford and Cheltenham, and is visible from the road. From London, it is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes via the M40.
When did Clarkson’s pub open?
The Farmer’s Dog officially opened on 23 August 2024, during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Hundreds of fans queued from early morning — some arriving at 6–7am — to be among the first customers. The soft opening the previous Thursday evening was attended by loyal Hawkstone customers and the full cast of Clarkson’s Farm including Kaleb Cooper, Gerald Cooper, and Lisa Hogan. The renovation and opening were filmed for Series 4 of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime Video.
How do I book a table at The Farmer’s Dog?
Bookings are made online through the official website at thefarmersdogpub.com. Tables for the main restaurant fill quickly — booking six to eight weeks ahead is recommended for weekends, and up to three months ahead for the most in-demand Saturday evening sittings. A credit card is required to secure a reservation. Tables are allocated in approximately 90-minute sittings. Walk-in visitors can access the Grand Tour tent, Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen, and the terrace bar without a booking.
Is The Farmer’s Dog dog-friendly?
Yes — dogs are explicitly and enthusiastically welcome at The Farmer’s Dog, which is one of the clearest examples of a name meaning exactly what it says. Dog owners have noted in reviews that staff give dogs free gravy bones on arrival. The outdoor terrace and Grand Tour tent area are particularly suitable for dogs, and dogs have been reported as welcomed in the main bar area as well. Given that visiting dogs must travel to a rural Oxfordshire location with green fields and fresh air all around, this is likely one of the most enjoyable pub days out available for dogs in England.
What beer does Clarkson’s pub sell?
The Farmer’s Dog serves exclusively Hawkstone beer and cider — Jeremy Clarkson’s own drinks brand, brewed using barley grown on Diddly Squat Farm. The Hawkstone range includes the Session Lager, Premium Lager, IPA, Hedgerow Cider, and standard Cider. A zero-alcohol Spa lager is also available. Pints are priced at approximately £6.75–7.00. No Coca-Cola, foreign lagers, or standard mainstream brands are served. British gin is available (with the sole concession of tonic water, which Clarkson acknowledges cannot be sourced British). English wines from producers including Chapel Down and Woodchester Valley are also on the list.
Does Clarkson’s pub serve coffee?
No — The Farmer’s Dog does not serve coffee, because no commercial coffee is grown in the United Kingdom. This is one of the most commonly mentioned menu absences in visitor reviews, and it comes as a surprise to many visitors who would normally expect coffee at a British pub or restaurant. British-grown tea is available as an alternative hot drink. The absence of coffee is not a practical oversight but a deliberate expression of the pub’s all-British-sourced mission.
Can I visit without a booking?
Yes — you can visit The Farmer’s Dog without a booking, but you will not be able to eat in the main restaurant on busy days without a pre-booked table. Walk-in visitors have access to the bar and terrace for drinks, and the Grand Tour tent complex (Farmer’s Puppy kitchen, Hops and Chops butcher, farm shop, and outdoor bar) is available without a reservation. The Farmer’s Puppy outdoor kitchen serves food on a walk-in basis. Many visitors report having an excellent experience purely from the tent and terrace without a restaurant sitting. For those determined to eat in the restaurant, booking well ahead is essential.
Is Clarkson’s pub close to Diddly Squat farm shop?
Diddly Squat Farm Shop is approximately nine miles from The Farmer’s Dog — about 15–20 minutes by car via the A44 and B-roads. The two locations are close enough to include in the same day trip, and many visitors do precisely this. Diddly Squat Farm Shop is at Chipping Norton Road, Chadlington, OX7 3PE, open Tuesday–Sunday 9:30am–4:30pm. Note that the farm shop has its own separate queuing and parking situation and is very popular — arriving early (at or before 9:30am opening) is recommended. The Hawkstone Brewery near Bourton-on-the-Water adds a third stop for those making a full “Tour de Clarkson” circuit.
How much does a pint cost at Clarkson’s pub?
A pint of Hawkstone beer at The Farmer’s Dog was priced at approximately £5.50–6.00 at the pub’s opening in August 2024. By mid-2025, prices had risen to approximately £6.75–7.00 per pint for the main Hawkstone products. This is broadly comparable to or slightly below the going rate for premium craft beer at similar upmarket Cotswolds pubs — reviewers consistently note it as better value than expected. Cans of the zero-alcohol Hawkstone Spa lager are available for approximately £3.10.
Is there a pub in Clarkson’s Farm Season 4?
Yes — the renovation and opening of The Farmer’s Dog forms a significant storyline in Series 4 of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime Video. Viewers follow the renovation of the former Windmill pub through the series, culminating in the opening weekend scenes and the arrival of fans and media. Series 4 was released in 2025 and brought huge additional public attention to The Farmer’s Dog, significantly increasing demand for bookings and visits following the series launch.
Who has been banned from Clarkson’s pub?
At the opening of The Farmer’s Dog, Jeremy Clarkson announced bans on several named individuals. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was barred, a move consistent with Clarkson’s vocal opposition to Labour’s inheritance tax policies affecting farms. Grand Tour co-presenter James May was also declared unwelcome, in connection with the end of The Grand Tour. A local resident named Maddy Hornby was also reportedly banned in relation to a planning matter. In December 2024, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch was invited to visit — a pointed contrast to the Starmer ban.
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