Jeremy Clarkson has that marmite quality of being adored and criticised in fairly equal measure. However, there's no denying the positive impact he's had on putting farming firmly into the public consciousness.
The graft put into his Cotswolds farm Diddly Squat, as shown on Amazon Prime hit Clarkson's Farm, has struck a chord with many fans of country life and has won him respect from viewers who never really loved Top Gear.
He's a man determined to work hard and he's set his sights beyond farming in his latest new chapter by buying the former Windmill pub near Burford.
It reopens on Friday 23 August 2024 at midday, just in time for the bank holiday weekend, with a new name — The Farmer's Dog.
Sharing snippets of the huge efforts to revamp the prominently positioned pub with magnificent views across the Windrush Valley, social media posts have promised delicious food and drinks when it finally opens its doors.
Images previewing the opening on social media show the glass-covered bar that showcases grains, lined with taps of his Hawkstone beers and ciders. It is also stocked with English wines and British fruit juices and fizzy drinks. Jeremy has refused to stock Coca-Cola because it isn't British.
In the pub garden, a pop-up kitchen named The Farmer’s Puppy is serving up burgers and lamb sandwiches this weekend.
The pub is offering carvery food at weekends from midday to 9pm.
During the week, lunch is served between midday to 2.30pm and supper from 5.30pm to 9pm.
A rustic menu includes bar snacks of sausage rolls, pickled eggs and soup.
Large plates feature bangers and mash, gammon steak with bubble and squeak, Lancashire hotpot, steak pie and a vegetable and cheddar crumble.
Simple sweets include apple crumble, cheesecake and strawberry meringue.
The menu uses locally sourced ingredients from British farms and it’ll change based on what’s in season.
There's also a butcher and bottle shop on-site at the pub named Hops & Chops which is open everyday from 9.30am to 5pm.
A warm welcome on the pub website says: 'The Farmer’s Dog is the first Hawkstone filling station. But it’s not just a pub. It’s also a restaurant. And in the garden, there’s a farm shop, and a butcher, and an off licence, and a bar and an outpost where you can grab a fantastic meaty snack to enjoy on the lawns. Children are welcome. So are dogs. Everyone is.'
The pub is not taking reservations at the moment. Availability is on a first come, first served basis.
