Jeremy Clarkson: James May probably won’t visit my pub but Richard Hammond will

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

Former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has said he does not think James May will visit his new pub, “but Richard (Hammond) will”.

Hundreds of people queued up on Friday as the TV star opened his pub, The Farmer’s Dog, in Asthall, near Burford in Oxfordshire, to the public for the first time.

His new venture is an expansion of his Diddly Squat farm project, which is explored in his hit Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm.

Prior to the TV show, which first aired in 2021, Clarkson was best known for co-hosting BBC motoring programme Top Gear, alongside May and Hammond, until 2015.

From 2016, the trio began Prime Video series, The Grand Tour, which recently finished filming.

Reflecting on this, Clarkson told Cathy Newman on Times Radio: “I think it was emotional, but the weird thing is… who am I saying goodbye to because we use exactly the same crews and producers on the farm show as we do on the cars show.

“So I basically said, well, that’s it everyone, see you Monday on the farm.”

Asked if he will miss May and Hammond, he said: “I can see them whenever I want.”

Considering whether they might make a trip to his pub, he said: “James probably won’t, but Richard will.

“I talked to Richard only yesterday. We’re mates and we’ll still see them.

“We couldn’t possibly have imagined we’d be together 22 years when we started out.

“And so it’s a wrench thinking, ‘God, we’re never going to do that again’.

“But by the same token, I don’t have to go through Terminal 5 quite so often.”

Clarkson has said he plans to sell his own Hawkstone lager as well as produce reared on his nearby farm at the pub.

The TV star has faced pushback over the years from locals in the West Oxfordshire area when he has tried to expand his Diddly Squat farm project.

Some residents have expressed concerns about traffic problems because the pub is located next to the busy A40 road.

Clarkson will appear on Cathy Newman with Times Radio Drive during her 4pm to 7pm  Friday slot.