Worst reviews as Jeremy Clarkson’s pub including ‘robotic’ servers
Celebrity pubs are the latest growing trend where stars throw themselves – and their fortunes – into hobbies and businesses that they have dreamed about for years. And Jeremy Clarkson’s Oxfordshire pub is the latest to take the UK by storm. The former Top Gear host, 65, opened the doors to his Burford watering hole back in August 2024 and has continually brought in thousands of fans from all over the country to try out the broadcaster’s food for themselves.
The Clarkson’s Farm star’s boozer only has one condition for patrons upon entry: all the produce is “100% British”, meaning you won’t be able to get your hands on staples like coffee and ketchup. Last year, the presenter pushed this rule even further, warning customers that bringing their own birthday cakes would also need to follow the same strict guidelines – so you won’t see any Tirimasu in sight.
As the pub approaches its two-year anniversary, we decided to take a look at the pub’s worst reviews to date on TripAdvisor to see where the dad-of-three could make some improvements.
One user was extremely disappointed with the long wait time between courses after being given a strict time slot on the day. They penned: “We were so looking forward to this.
“We sat at 6pm, and the starter for the table didn’t arrive until 30 minutes after ordering. By 7pm, we still didn’t have the main courses. They are very clear about your time limit when booking.
“There had obviously been an error – we think a nearby table got our starter, and mistakes do happen. But the lady I initially asked about checking for our food was really blase and offhand.
“A manager did come and apologise and offer us a voucher, but as we had travelled miles and it was our last night, this couldn’t really put right the disappointment.”
Meanwhile, others complained about poor access for disabled customers, with one user complaining: “The Farmer’s Dog is certainly not wheelchair friendsly. Very disappointed as expected.
There was rubber matting instead of grass, which made getting into the shop area very difficult, and I had to get other visitors to assist me. No space inside for wheelchair access.
“Counters are very busy, so trying to speak to staff was nearly impossible due to the background noise. I advise any people who use wheelchairs to stay away, as you will be very disappointed, like my family and I were.”
Another agreed: “Due to how busy it was, we were directed to overflow parking, which was not suitable for the needs of our blue badge holder. We left without visiting.”
Another patron complained about the food quality, encouraging foodies to go elsewhere. They wrote: “Some of the food was crap. The gammon steak was tough and inedible.
“I myself come from a farming background, and if that’s British, I would rather buy from overseas. The larger and cider was perfectly, really nice. Friendly staff. If you just want a pint, you can’t drink in the pub, you have to go to the tent, but if you want food, don’t bother to go.”
A third agreed: “The food is very loose. Hard lamb. Lots of spice. Beer’s fine, but you can find that in any pub. All made in GB, but they cook very badly.” Some visitors complained about the huge queues at the venue, as one patron complained they were “treated like cattle”.
They wrote: “Treated like cattle – left queuing until 12 and then for a further 17 minutes to be told no space. A little bit of care and respect for the paying public might go a long way. Would not recommend to others.”
