Jeremy Clarkson has been forced to close a butcher’s venue at his Cotswolds pub in Oxfordshire, amid a red weather warning.
The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for extreme heat covering the county yesterday (Monday, June 22)
A red warning is the highest level of alert and means exceptionally hot and humid weather is expected.
This brings with it a risk of serious illness or death, and significant disruption to travel, energy supplies and day-to-day routines.
Forecasters say the heatwave affecting Oxfordshire will continue through the middle of this week, with the actual red warning set for Wednesday (June 24) and Thursday (June 25).
This severe heat has now had an effect on Mr Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, which he bought for around £1,000,000 and opened in the summer of 2024.
The watering hole in Asthall near Burford has the former tent from The Grand Tour on its grounds, housing a pop-up farm shop among other amenities within.
One of these is a butcher’s, called Chops, which has now been forced to close throughout this week due to the weather, as made official by an announcement today (Tuesday, June 23).
A statement from The Farmer’s Dog on X said: “It turns out that when Britain reaches temperatures normally associated with southern Spain, certain things stop working properly.
“As a result, Chops (our butcher’s counter) will be closed today and potentially for the remainder of the week.
“The combination of extreme heat, refrigeration units and a giant tent has proved challenging. We’re working on solutions and will reopen as soon as it’s sensible to do so.
“Don’t worry, our famous sausage rolls will still be available from the garden bars and pub bar.
“Diddly Squat Farm Shop and Hops will remain open, although you may notice we’ve moved a few tills around to make life slightly more bearable for our team.
“And finally, a word on dogs. We love them. The clue is in the name. Normally, they’re always welcome.
“But with very little shade on site and temperatures nudging towards 35°C and beyond, today might be a good day for them to stay somewhere cool and comfortable instead. Thank you for your understanding.”
The Farmer’s Dog describes itself as a celebration of British farming, with a strong focus on food and drink sourced from within the UK.
On the wider site there is also The Grand Tour tent, which features an outdoor kitchen and space for events linked to Mr Clarkson’s TV work.
Visitors will also find both Diddly Squat Farm Shop and Hawkstone merchandise on sale, reinforcing the connection to his Oxfordshire farm.
Since opening to the public in August 2024, the pub has quickly become a Cotswolds destination for fans of the show and tourists visiting the area.
