Jeremy Clarkson has responded with characteristic bluntness to recent calls for a boycott of his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, in Oxfordshire, after one journalist criticized the establishment following the presenter’s controversial decision to ban Labour MPs from the venue.
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour star opened the pub in Asthall in August 2024, after purchasing the site for around £1 million and renaming it from its previous incarnation as The Windmill. Since its opening, The Farmer’s Dog has garnered considerable attention, becoming a popular destination for fans and patrons alike. The pub, now renovated, offers a slice of Clarkson’s vision for rural life, reflecting the spirit of his popular Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm, where he documents the challenges of running a farm in the Cotswolds.
However, while The Farmer’s Dog has been largely well-received by the public, not all have been impressed with the way Clarkson has run the establishment. After Clarkson made headlines earlier this year for banning all Labour MPs from his pub, the issue caught the attention of Graham Lambert, a journalist who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to call for a boycott of Clarkson’s venue.
In his post, Lambert wrote, “It’s time for us all to get out of Jeremy Clarkson’s pub and into somewhere more welcoming. Whatever it is he is farming, we’d rather raise a pint to those less aligned to right-leaning sentiments and more aligned with majority values and interests.”
Lambert’s call for a boycott was met with a flurry of online activity, and the social media post quickly gained traction, sparking heated debate among both supporters and detractors of Clarkson.
In true Clarkson fashion, the 65-year-old presenter did not shy away from the controversy. Rather than offer a measured or diplomatic response, Clarkson delivered a brutally straightforward reply: “Okey doke. Off you go.”
The response has been shared and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, with over 684,000 views and more than 50,000 likes. Clarkson’s no-nonsense attitude to criticism has only reinforced his persona as a man unafraid to speak his mind, regardless of the backlash.
The incident comes on the heels of Clarkson’s ongoing success with Clarkson’s Farm, which continues to captivate audiences around the world. Following the success of previous seasons, the fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm is slated to air in 2026, consisting of eight new episodes, which will be released on Prime Video. In this upcoming series, Clarkson is expected to continue navigating the trials and tribulations of running his Cotswolds farm, bringing viewers along for the ride as he tackles the chaos of rural life.
As for The Farmer’s Dog, despite the controversy, Clarkson remains resolute in his approach to the pub. He has made it clear that the venue will continue to reflect his personal views, and anyone who disagrees is welcome to take their business elsewhere. For now, the pub continues to attract a steady stream of visitors, while Clarkson’s candid response to the boycott call has only intensified public interest in both his pub and his television work.
In an era where celebrity figures often walk on eggshells to avoid controversy, Clarkson’s unfiltered responses and defiant stance continue to set him apart, earning him both devoted fans and vocal critics. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s clear that Clarkson’s unapologetic approach to both his businesses and his public image isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
