Jeremy Clarkson lifts the lid on which of his Grand Tour co-stars won’t be coming to visit his new £1m pub
THE Grand Tour star opened his pub, The Farmer’s Dog, but will his co-stars visit?
Hundreds of people lined up on Friday as the TV star opened his pub in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, to the public for the first time.
Jeremy Clarkson, 64, took over the establishment that was known as The Windmill, which he bought for just under £1 million earlier this year.
Over the past few months, TV personality has been working hard to get the neglected Cotswolds establishment ready to reopen.
Fans got a glimpse inside Jeremy’s pub earlier this year when he temporarily opened it up for the final of the Euros as England faced off against Spain. But it closed again after the event.
Jeremey previously stated that his new pub won’t officially open to the public until 2025, with the exception of a private wedding which is booked at the venue later this year.
However, plans were ready earlier than expected as the pub opened for the public on Friday.
Jeremy hopes The Farmer’s Dog will be a cornerstone of the local communities as he envisions a “fun” and homely pub featuring bar billiards, darts, and a garden, as well as a place where he can enjoy a Sunday meal with his granddaughter.
He also hopes to incorporate bar games, while banning noisy TVs in the establishment.
To achieve this, the pub underwent a major renovation, including adding a second bar upstairs.
However, Jeremy thinks his Top Gear co-star James May will not visit his new pub, “but Richard (Hammond) will”.
From 2016, the trio began their Prime Video series, The Grand Tour, which recently finished filming.
Reflecting on the final Grand Tour, Jeremy said: “I think it was emotional, but the weird thing is… who am I saying goodbye to because we use exactly the same crews and producers on the farm show as we do on the cars show?
“So I basically said, ‘well, that’s it everyone, see you Monday on the farm’.”
Asked if he will miss James and Richard, he said: “I can see them whenever I want.”
Considering whether they might make a trip to his pub, he said: “James probably won’t, but Richard will.
The Grand Tour cast
Meet the cast of the hit Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour. With a total of five series, Jeremy Clarkson is joined by Richard Hammond and James May as they travel across the world to meet different automobile manufacturers and drive cars made by them.
Jeremy Clarkson – He is best known for the motoring programmes Top Gear and The Grand Tour. He was born in 1960 in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster in the North of England, an area renowned for its loud shouting and rampant exaggeration.
James May – His oeuvre includes a record for the world’s longest train set, building a real house from Lego, propelling children’s action figures to beyond the speed of sound, a revival of the cult of duelling, the creation of a mechanical email system, and a wholesale rethink of the pet funeral business.
Richard Hammond – The Birmingham-born started his career in local radio before getting a break on a cable TV car show where he was able to hone his presenting skills.
Andy Wilman – is the creator and executive producer on the show. He is also a producer on Clarkson’s Farm.
Abbie Eaton – is a qualified racing instructor and a performance driving coach. She starred as the test driver for the second and third series of The Grand Tour. James May stated: “she was the fastest and the best” when a large number of drivers were tested for the show.
Mike Skinner – The American is a former NASCAR racer who realised he was good at brawling and driving in cowboy boots. He turned to NASCAR racing where he won the 1995 SuperTruck series and the 1997 Winston Cup Series rookie of the year.
“I talked to Richard only yesterday. We’re mates and we’ll still see them.
“We couldn’t possibly have imagined we’d be together 22 years when we started out.
“And so it’s a wrench, thinking, ‘God, we’re never going to do that again’.
“But by the same token, I don’t have to go through Terminal 5 (of Heathrow airport) quite so often.”
Jeremy has said he plans to sell his own Hawkstone lager as well as produce reared on his nearby farm at the pub.
Fans have taken to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their first experiences visiting Jeremy’s new pub, The Farmer’s Dog.
One said: “I visited @JeremyClarkson’s new pub with @Jordyn_Mxtn this weekend. I grabbed a pint of @RealHawkstone and had a brilliant time out in the #Oxfordshire countryside. Would recommend.”
Another added: “Just tried our new local pub @thefarmerdogpub from @JeremyClarkson. Long queue to get in but worth it. Service ultra quick once seated, food is delicious and all staff very welcoming.
“View on the country side is amazing from the terrace. Strongly recommend #localpub”
A third wrote: “Great day at The Farmer’s Dog Pub. And got to meet the man himself @JeremyClarkson and the Cider was great.”
The Grand Tour is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.