Jeremy Clarkson warns of major mishap at new Oxfordshire pub

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Jeremy Clarkson has warned fellow pub landlords of a dangerous mishap he encountered while installing an oven at his newly opened establishment, The Farmer’s Dog.

The 64-year-old former Top Gear presenter paid less than £1m for the pub that opened last month, formerly known as The Windmill, in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire.

But the Clarkson’s Farm star has encountered several problems as he enters the hospitality business for the first time.

Sharing an insight on X/Twitter, Clarkson warned: “Publicans. When installing a new oven, ensure it’s not positioned under a smoke detector. Or you will end up spoiling the dining experience for your customers.”

Fans online joked he could provide punters with “complementary earplugs”, and teased him for making a “rookie error”.

Others joked that his unfortunate pub chronicles echo his frustrations that came with his foray into agriculture when he opened his Diddly Squat farm, which is documented in his Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm.

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“Looking forward to the first series of Clarkson’s Pub,” said one fan, as another joked: “Sounds like we might need to have a new show, Clarkson’s Pub.”

The oven incident wouldn’t be the only issue Clarkson has encountered since his pub opening. Last month, he responded to complaints about the pricing of food and drink at the new establishment.

When the menu was first shared online, Clarkson’s fans remarked that there were no prices on the menu, which might suggest that dishes would be more expensive compared to other pubs in the area.

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“You know it’s expensive when they don’t include the prices,” wrote one fan on Instagram, as another added: “No prices. Always a worry.”

When one commenter joked on X/Twitter that they would need to remortgage their home to afford a round of drinks at the new pub, Clarkson bluntly responded: “It’s £5.50 a pint.”

The pub’s restaurant has two menus, a weekday main menu, which consists of British classics like sausage and mash, steak pie and a Lancashire hotpot. On weekends, a carvery is served between midday and 9pm.

At the time of the opening, the presenter described the whole process of becoming a pub landlord as “terribly stressful” and said there are many inconveniences that “you don’t think about”.

But he said the business was committed to only using produce that is locally sourced and produced by British farmers.

“The menu changes – it’s whatever we’ve got. There’s no Coca-Cola, no coffee, other pubs do coffee. Cornish tea. We do British food,” he explained to reporters at the pub’s opening. “Everything that you consume in here – every single thing – even the black pepper and the sugar, is grown by British farmers.”