Jeremy Clarkson opens up about ‘bleak situation’ running The Farmer’s Dog

Jeremy Clarkson has discussed the difficulties of running his pub, The Farmer’s Dog as he attacked Labour’s raising of business rates.

The broadcaster and Clarkson’s Farm star, 65, opened his Cotswolds pub in 2024, but he’s now admitted he’s in a “bleak situation”.

Clarkson says it’s thanks to increasing business rates, a woe he’s shared with fellow celebrity pub owner Tom Kerridge.
Clarkson wrote in The Sunday Times: “The chef Tom Kerridge said the rates on his burger joint in Marlow would go up from £50,000 a year to £124,000. ‘What’s the point in being open?’ he asks reasonably.

“At my pub, the Farmer’s Dog, things aren’t quite that bleak but they’re still pretty terrible.

“The rateable value would shoot up from £27,250 to £55,000 and when you factor in the national insurance rise, which has upped our wage bill by £42,000 a year, we’d be up a gum tree.
“Because how can you pass this on to customers when they have a £2billion gas bill to pay and they can’t get there anyway because of the new drink driving rules.”

Last month, the star barred more than 400 Labour MPs from the establishment in protest at the government’s tax raid on hospitality.
The Clarkson’s Farm star banned Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer from The Farmer’s Dog when it opened last year.

But he then extended the boycott to Sir Keir’s entire party after his annual business rates bill increased from £28,000 to over £50,000.
Ministers are set to U-turn on the planned tax raid on pubs after mounting pressure from landlords and backbench MPs.

In response to Clarkson’s ban on Labour MPs, one user on X suggested people should stop drinking in his pub.
It’s time for us all to get out of Jeremy Clarkson’s pub and into somewhere more welcoming,” they suggested on X.

“Whatever it is he is *farming*, we’d rather raise a pint to those less aligned to right-leaning sentiments and more aligned with majority values and interests.”
The social media user’s suggestion was promptly dismissed by many, and Clarkson responded in his typical humour.

“Okey doke. Off you go,” he replied.

His post was welcomed by many fans, including one who wrote: “If I ever end up back in England I plan on going to The Farmers Dog. Loved Top Gear and Love Clarkson’s Farm. I try not to make my dining decisions based on politics. Seems a pathetic way to live.”