Jeremy Clarkson fears over 'bleak' situation as 'things terrible'

Jeremy Clarkson has spoken about things being "pretty terrible". <i>(Image: Matt Simpson)</i>
Jeremy Clarkson has spoken about things being "pretty terrible". (Image: Matt Simpson)
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Jeremy Clarkson has shared his fears over a "bleak" situation with things being "pretty terrible" at his pub in the Cotswolds.

The former Top Gear and Grand Tour star purchased The Windmill pub in Asthall for around £1m last year.

Mr Clarkson renovated the spot for several months before opening its doors to the public in August 2024.

The boozer near Burford, renamed The Farmer's Dog, has proved a popular addition with fans flocking to the spot over the past year.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson says people who are poor should 'work harder'

The Farmer's Dog pub in the Cotswolds. (Image: Ben Birchall / PA)

It also featured throughout the most recent season of Clarkson's Farm, which was released on Amazon Prime across May and June.

Now, in his latest column for The Sunday Times, Mr Clarkson has opened up about the pub industry and described things at his own spot as "pretty terrible".

He wrote: "The chef Tom Kerridge said the rates on his burger joint in Marlow would go up from £50,000 a year to £124,000.

READ MORE: Clarkson's Farm star shares 'the honest truth after difficulties'


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"'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."

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