Jeremy Clarkson has said he is done with business, saying: “I am not starting another business as long as I live.”
The Farmer’s Dog pub will be his last business venture, it seems. It opened its doors over the August Bank Holiday last year to the queues of hundreds of people. Now the 65-year-old employs 146 members of staff at the pub in the Cotswolds, not far from Diddly Squat farm where much of its produce comes from.
Becoming a pub landlord hasn’t been without its hardships and challenging moments, including facing staff walkouts and power cuts when opening last year. Then there was also Clarkson’s row about the £40,000 umbrellas. These challenges weren’t really known about until Clarkson’s Farm series four was available to stream on Prime Video in June.
“I’m done with business now,” the Clarkson’s Farm star told The Times in a new interview on Friday. “I don’t understand it and am not motivated by money. I just want a good craic.”
How much money does Jeremy Clarkson make?
Although he claims to not know much about business, the TV star has made millions from fronting TV shows like The Grand Tour. According to reports, Clarkson is estimated to be worth £55million.
It is a stark contrast to his humble beginnings when he was born in 1960. Before finding fame, Clarkson worked as a motoring journalist at the Rotherham Advertiser. It was presenting on motoring show Top Gear that he got his big break alongside forever friends Richard Hammond and James May.
Clarkson’s brewing business Hawkstone is a success and that’s no secret; it has tripled its revenues to £21.3million in the past year and has been named in Britain’s fastest-growing private companies annual rankings list, according to The Sunday Times this week.
In fact, Clarkson said he would love to take over the lager market and he cheekily quipped he would like to see rival Peroni out of business. Peroni Brewery have been in business since 1846 and remain a popular drink choice. Hawkstone is proving to be a fierce rival and it is available to drink in many pubs in the UK.
Of course, his other businesses include the Clarkson’s Farm show, Diddly Squat farm shop and The Farmer’s Dog pub. Clarkson previously said it was “galling” how much the farm made when so much hard graft goes into it. He has said that it’s even “worse at the pub”.
There is a huge demand and the customers are always there but Clarkson explained in The Times column over Christmas that “turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible”.
On their own, the farm and the pub may not appear to be huge money earners but both are big features of his lucrative Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm. Then there’s his other TV work as Clarkson is the host of ITV quiz show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?
What is next for Clarkson’s Farm?
The Farmer’s Dog pub was the big focal point for Clarkson’s Farm series four, although some viewers complained on social media it wasn’t part of the farm. Clarkson silenced his critics with his message on X: “I know what you mean but the pub IS farm related.”
With no plans for new businesses on the horizon, Clarkson will have to keep changing things up on the farm — and at the pub — to keep the show feeling new. One thing that can be guaranteed is the farmer always finds a home for new animals on his farm.
Filming for series five is underway with all favourites from the cast returning and series six has already been given the green light. Clarkson and his girlfriend Lisa Hogan have vowed to continue with Clarkson’s Farm for as long as it is educational to people.
