Jeremy Clarkson’s The Farmer’s Dog Pub Faces CAMRA Snub and Local Tensions

Jeremy Clarkson, the charismatic former host of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has faced a significant setback with his latest venture, The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall, Oxfordshire. Opened in August 2024 after a £1 million purchase and extensive renovations, the pub has become a magnet for fans of Clarkson’s Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm, drawing crowds eager to sample his Hawkstone beer and soak in the Cotswolds charm. However, the pub’s meteoric rise has been overshadowed by a major snub from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which excluded The Farmer’s Dog from its prestigious Good Beer Guide 2026. Compounding this blow, local residents have voiced complaints about noise, traffic, and safety issues, while a playful feud with former co-host James May has added a layer of public intrigue. As Clarkson navigates these challenges, the future of his rural empire hangs in the balance.

The Farmer’s Dog, formerly The Windmill, was a central focus of Clarkson’s Farm Season 4, which chronicled the daunting task of transforming a rundown country pub into a vibrant destination. The series, aired in 2025, captured Clarkson’s clashes with West Oxfordshire District Council over planning permissions, culminating in a triumphant opening that saw hundreds queuing for hours, as reported by The Sun on August 12, 2024. The pub, set along the A40 near Burford, offers a range of Hawkstone beverages—lager, cider, IPA, and stout—brewed with ingredients from Clarkson’s nearby Diddly Squat Farm. Its menu, emphasizing British-grown produce, has earned rave reviews, with dishes like steak pie and Sunday roasts drawing locals and tourists alike. Social media posts on X highlight its popularity, with fans praising the scenic views and Clarkson’s Farm connection, though some have criticized high prices, such as £17.50 for two pints, including a £2.50 reusable cup charge.

Despite this success, the Good Beer Guide 2026, released on September 24, 2025, delivered a stinging rebuke by omitting The Farmer’s Dog from its list of 4,500 top UK pubs. The guide, compiled by CAMRA, included 67 Oxfordshire establishments, such as The Bear Inn in Oxford, but notably excluded Clarkson’s pub and another local favorite, The Bull in Charlbury, led by Michelin-starred chef Sally Abé and visited by former US Vice President Kamala Harris in 2025. A CAMRA spokesperson, quoted in The Oxford Mail, explained, “The Guide is the definitive guidebook to pubs that serve great cask beer, and uses an independent, volunteer-led selection process that makes it the authoritative and trusted voice of cask beer drinkers. Listings are highly competitive and do change year on year.” The spokesperson emphasized that local CAMRA branches evaluate pubs based solely on cask beer quality, with scores submitted throughout 2024 determining inclusion. The snub suggests that The Farmer’s Dog, despite offering Hawkstone’s Butcombe Original Ale, may not have met CAMRA’s rigorous standards, possibly due to its recent opening or a focus on kegged products.

The CAMRA exclusion is just one of several challenges facing Clarkson. Local residents have lodged complaints with Asthall Parish Council, citing noise, traffic, and safety concerns, as detailed in The Daily Mail on September 13, 2025. The council’s September 2024 minutes reveal issues with excessive mud on roads, exacerbated by heavy rain, and loud music from the pub disturbing nearby Worsham until 10 p.m., the legal cutoff per its license. Councillor Ruth McCalman proposed a “quiet request” to lower the volume, acknowledging no legal breach but highlighting community disruption. Residents also criticized the use of Barrow Field on the B4047 for parking, questioning the lack of a planning application and the impact on a nearby 7th-century Saxon Barrow, a protected archaeological site. A letter to the council, cited in thisisoxfordshire.co.uk, noted that a new car park entrance near a road bend lacks proper signage, posing safety risks, while temporary signs for access, pedestrian safety, and speed limits obstruct visibility at Asthall Turn.

The parking situation mirrors the chaos at Diddly Squat farm shop, where verge parking has long frustrated locals. Oxfordshire County Council has responded with measures like reducing the Burford roundabout speed limit to 40 mph and improving bus stop access, as reported by eppingforestguardian.co.uk. However, councillor Liam Walker expressed disappointment over the lack of stronger interventions, such as double yellow lines, to curb hazardous parking. The council is forwarding complaints to West Oxfordshire District Council, which is reviewing the temporary parking setup, per cotswoldjournal.co.uk. These issues have sparked a divide in the community, with some residents appreciating the economic boost from tourism, while others lament the disruption to their rural lifestyle, as noted in The Telegraph on August 21, 2024.

Adding a lighter but headline-grabbing twist, Clarkson’s former Top Gear co-host James May recently took a playful swipe at The Farmer’s Dog. Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine on September 10, 2025, May quipped that Clarkson had “banned” him from the pub, likening it to being excluded from a golf club. “I wasn’t going to go anyway,” May said, adding, “I’ve got my own pub just around the corner, so I’m not going to go 75 miles to his. Especially if mine is better.” The comment, reported by The Express, was in jest, referencing May’s own pub, The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire. Fans on X found the banter amusing, with one user posting, “James May throwing shade at Clarkson’s pub is peak Top Gear energy.”

Clarkson has yet to publicly address the CAMRA snub, but his history of resilience suggests he’ll weather this storm. In a post on X on August 22, 2024, he thanked Oxfordshire County Council for their support during the pub’s opening, indicating a willingness to work with local authorities. The Farmer’s Dog remains a draw, with its Instagram account showcasing vibrant crowds and quirky events like drinking games, as noted by heraldscotland.com. However, resolving local complaints and securing a place in future Good Beer Guides will require careful navigation. Clarkson’s ability to balance his pub’s commercial success with community harmony and industry recognition will determine whether The Farmer’s Dog can cement its place as a Cotswolds institution or remain a lightning rod for controversy.