Clarkson’s Farm series five is being released next month (Wednesday 3 June).
The Farmer’s Dog in Burford, Oxfordshire opened on Friday 23 August 2024 and had a plethora of issues including issues with beer coolers meaning for each pint being poured, another was being lost.
The kitchen also saw problems with extractor fans tripping, sparking concerns lunch service would be a bust.
However, this was rectified by 2pm and the first of the lunches were served.
More stressful
At the time, Clarkson said: “Opening weekend was a disaster...Opening day and yesterday were absolute disasters. I never want to relive them.”
The Farmer’s Dog featured heavily in series four of the programme, which was filmed across the summer of 2024 and launched on Prime in May last year.
This was followed by Clarkson admitting owning a pub was “more stressful” than running his farm, in a report in The Telegraph.
In the newspaper, he wrote: “There are so many things you discover about opening and running a pub that you wouldn’t even consider.
“When you and I go in a pub, you ask for a pint, you get a pint, you sit down, maybe have some pork scratchings or something and it doesn’t look that difficult.”
Sector recognition
He added: “But there’s an enormous amount of regulation on food hygiene and safety.
“And then you’ve got staffing. You’ve got to try and find chefs, you’ve got to find waitresses and that’s all very complicated.”
In October last year, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) recognised Clarkson for this contribution to the hospitality industry at its annual dinner.
He received the BBPA’s Industry Champion Award, presented by chief executive Emma McClarkin, for his efforts in bringing “national attention” to the challenges facing brewers and publicans through his Hawkstone beer and and the launch of the Farmer’s Dog.
