Jeremy Clarkson's Farmer's Dog pub fiercely defended over 'shocking' price of burger
Topics: UK Food, Celebrity, News, Social Media
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@thefarmersdogpub
Topics: UK Food, Celebrity, News, Social Media
Prices at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, have been passionately defended by fans after a disgruntled customer called its food and drink costs ‘absolutely shocking’.
The eatery, which opened under the Top Gear favourite in August 2024, has made a habit of making headlines over the past couple of years.
Most recently, Clarkson announced that a previously-banned drink was added to the menu; people were apparently intent on stealing glasses at one point, and he was ‘seriously thinking’ about banning those with food intolerances.
Now, discourse regarding the pub’s prices has appeared online following one disgruntled customer, who claims to have previously visited the eatery.
Advert
They took to Facebook on Thursday (11 June) and wrote: “Loved Top Gear, Clarksons Farm and like the thoughts and ways of the man himself but after popping in on way back from holiday with the kids, the prices .... Especially the food was absolutely shocking.
It should be noted that it's not known when the person visited the establishment as a burger is not currently listed on the menu.
“£25 (plus surcharge) for a roast. £16 for burger with no fries.... Talk about wincing the fans of every last penny,” the guest typed.
The Farmer’s Dog has since been fiercely defended online, with one social media user typing:” Don’t go if your [sic] gonna moan, everything is British which costs more, and if you go to pubs around it’s pretty much the same price.
Another reported: “That’s pretty much standard pub prices where we live, I would have expected to pay higher given the fame. He’s not even making a profit.”
“They just had an episode where they spoke about how they were the least expensive pub in the area,” someone else said.
The latter comments referred to a recent episode of Clarkson’s Farm series five, titled ‘Updating’.
It saw The Farmer’s Dog owner going over recent numbers from the pub with fan-favourite, Charlie Ireland.
“Profit before taxation… minus £8,486. We’re losing money,” the 66-year-old lamented.
He added that after surveying competitors in the area, he’d concluded that the pub’s menu was ‘fundamentally cheaper than any other pub in the area’.
Despite his establishment having an excellent value for money in terms of ingredient quality and price, the former Grand Tour presenter pointed out that a lot of The Farmer’s Dog press was focused on its prices.
"If you actually look at the news coverage this place gets," he began. "Every newspaper, every time this pub is mentioned, they all say the same thing: 'This pub is expensive'.
"The fact is, we're cheaper," Clarkson concluded.
"So here we are with a totally unfounded reputation in all of the newspapers [that] we're expensive when we're not.
"We're paying more for the food than any other pub and charging less," he added. “We have to put the prices up.”
Anyone hoping to visit The Farmer’s Dog in the next few weeks can expect to dine on £9.50 bowls of soup, starters such as pork fritters (£11.50), breaded brie, chicken liver parfait, and creamy garlic mushrooms, all priced at £12.
Current main courses include slow-roasted saddle of lamb (£28), confit duck leg, steak pie and pork belly (all £26), as well as the vegetarian-friendly dish, roasted heritage beetroot and whipped goats cheese, served with pearl barley and Old Winchester crisps for £22.
If the dishes aren’t quite enough, then you can add a plate of mashed or new potatoes or vegetables for £5, or a plate of bread and butter for £2.50.
To finish off, sweets come in the form of ice cream (£5), an apple, oat and toffee tart (£12) or a savoury cheese board (£14).
The pub's Sunday menu has similar prices, excluding a meatless roast, which is available for £16.
Drinks include pints of Hawkstone lager or cider for £7, a double gin for £10.50, and cocktails, including the Farmer’s Dog Spring Cup - featuring cherry, damson and raspberry liqueur with English sparkling wine - for £12.50 a pop.
Check out the full menus here.
Ocado, the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, announced in May that it had become the exclusive stockist of Diddly Squat Farm Shop goods, including oak-smoked rapeseed oil, rich blackberry jam, and ‘proper’ piccalilli chutney.
Those with a sweet tooth can try out the store’s Little Turds, AKA chocolate-covered honeycomb balls, or packs of traditional buttery fudge.
Lisa Hogan, Clarkson’s girlfriend and fellow Clarkson’s Farm star, has said the Ocado partnership is a ‘natural step in making our farm more accessible to customers across the country’.
“Diddly Squat has always been about celebrating British farming in a hands-on, practical way, from what we grow to how we share it with people,” she said, adding that the collaboration allows the business to ‘stay true to its roots’.
Meanwhile, Lucy Silver, partnerships lead at Ocado Retail, said: “Diddly Squat is an exciting brand to have on site and allows us to deliver a farm shop experience to our customers’ doors.
“We’re always looking for ways to support British products and expand the choice of local produce for our customers.”
If your favourite Diddly Squat Farm Shop product isn’t on the Ocado site just yet, then don’t worry as there will be additional items added to the catalogue in due course, according to the reports.