Jeremy Clarkson Says He Is “Done With Business” as Pub and Brewery Thrive

Jeremy Clarkson Says He Is “Done With Business” as Pub and Brewery Thrive

Jeremy Clarkson has said he has no intention of launching any new business ventures, declaring that his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, will be his final commercial project.

Speaking in a new interview with The Times, the 65-year-old broadcaster said: “I am not starting another business as long as I live. I don’t understand it and I am not motivated by money. I just want a good craic.”

The remarks come despite the continued growth of Clarkson’s existing ventures, including his Hawkstone brewery and the pub itself, both of which have expanded rapidly over the past year.

The Farmer’s Dog opened over the August Bank Holiday last year, drawing long queues and significant attention from fans of Clarkson’s Farm. Located in the Cotswolds near Diddly Squat Farm, the pub sources much of its produce locally and now employs 146 members of staff.

However, its early days were not without difficulty. Clarkson faced several operational challenges during the launch period, including staff walkouts, power outages and criticism over the cost of specialist equipment such as £40,000 umbrellas. Many of these issues only became widely known when the fourth series of Clarkson’s Farm was released on Prime Video in June.

Despite those setbacks, Clarkson now appears to view the pub as a completed chapter. While he insists business has never been his strength, his commercial track record suggests otherwise.

Alongside the pub, Clarkson’s Hawkstone brewery has emerged as a major success. According to figures reported by The Sunday Times, the company has tripled its revenues over the past year to £21.3m and has been listed among Britain’s fastest-growing private companies. Hawkstone lager is now stocked in pubs across the UK, placing it in direct competition with long-established brands.

Clarkson has previously joked that he would like to dominate the lager market and has even suggested he would enjoy seeing rivals overtaken. While such comments are delivered with characteristic humour, the brewery’s growth indicates that Hawkstone has become a serious player in the sector.

Financially, Clarkson’s position stands in sharp contrast to his early career. Born in 1960, he began work as a journalist at the Rotherham Advertiser before finding wider recognition as a motoring writer. His major breakthrough came with Top Gear, where he presented alongside Richard Hammond and James May.

He later went on to front The Grand Tour and currently hosts ITV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Industry estimates place his personal wealth at around £55m.

Yet Clarkson has repeatedly suggested that the agricultural side of his work is far less financially rewarding than viewers might assume. He has previously described it as “galling” how little profit farming can generate despite the labour involved, adding that the situation is even more challenging when large numbers of visitors are involved.

Writing in The Times over Christmas, Clarkson explained that while demand for visits to Diddly Squat Farm remains extremely high, “turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible”. He has made similar comments about the pub, noting that hospitality brings heavy costs and constant operational pressure.

Nevertheless, both the farm shop and The Farmer’s Dog play a central role in Clarkson’s Farm, which remains one of Prime Video’s most successful UK productions. While some viewers questioned whether the pub belonged in a series focused on farming, Clarkson addressed the criticism directly on social media, stating: “I know what you mean but the pub IS farm related.”

With no new ventures planned, Clarkson’s focus now appears to be on evolving what he already has. Filming for the fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm is under way, with all main cast members returning, and a sixth series has already been confirmed.

Clarkson and his partner, Lisa Hogan, have said they will continue making the programme for as long as it remains educational for viewers. That approach has defined the show’s appeal, blending humour with a closer look at the realities of modern farming.

For now, Clarkson insists his appetite for expansion has gone. While his businesses continue to grow, he says the focus has shifted away from building empires and towards enjoying the work already in hand — preferably with good company, good food and a pint poured close to home.