<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>He has spent the past few years learning the ins and outs of farming, but now Jeremy Clarkson is venturing into another new field: the world of pubs. After months of rumours, the former Top Gear presenter has confirmed he has bought a pub in the Cotswolds. So what can fans expect from his latest venture?
Jeremy Clarkson’s Pub: What To Expect
Clarkson has revealed he paid ‘less than £1 million’ for The Windmill, a pub housed in a 15th century barn near Burford in Oxfordshire, with views of the rolling countryside. Described by its previous owners as a venue and restaurant, The Windmill announced it was under ‘new ownership’ as of 4 June 2024.
Writing in The Sunday Times, Clarkson said: ‘I decided last year that I’d like to buy a pub. So I called everyone I know who has one and they all said the same thing: the pub business is dying. They’re closing at the rate of more than a thousand a year. You would have to be mad to buy one. Insane. So I’ve bought a pub.’
He went on to describe the lengthy process of finding the right venue, writing: ‘after I’d looked at about 14,000, I found just the place. Old, Cotswoldy and sitting in five acres of its own land.’
The pub, which is yet to be named, needs a fair amount of work before it can open – although Clarkson and the team will have to be speedy, as he’s agreed to host a wedding reception for a young couple there in just a few weeks.
So what does Clarkson envisage for his new spot? ‘A place where I can go on a Sunday with my granddaughter for some gammon, egg and chips,’ he says. ‘Well-priced, British-grown food with a pint of Hawkstone beer. And a warm fuzzy feeling inside.’ There will also be bar billiards, darts and a garden area.
This isn’t the first time Clarkson has opened an F&B business. Back in 2022, the Diddly Squat team opened a restaurant within an abandoned lambing barn on the farm, however it was forced to close after a battle with the council. The saga was played out in Clarkson’s Farm, the beloved Amazon Prime show – and it’s likely the purchase of the pub will provide a new storyline for season four, which is currently in the works.
