Jeremy Clarkson has banned a customer from bringing a birthday cake to his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog, as part of his strict '100% British' sourcing policy. The former Top Gear host, 65, launched the pub near his Diddly Squat Farm last August, and insists all food and drink served must come from within a 16-mile radius.
The rule extends to items brought in by customers. When a punter emailed to ask about bringing a celebratory cake, the pub replied: 'As part of our commitment to back British farming, we kindly ask that only 100% British food products are brought into the pub, this sadly includes birthday cakes.'
Clarkson has previously admitted his rules are costly, claiming he loses about £10 per customer. In a Times column, he noted that black pepper costs ten times more to buy in the UK than abroad, and joked that a hotdog would need to be priced at £45 to cover costs under his policy.
The pub also faced backlash for initially not stocking ketchup due to sourcing difficulties, but later added a £7.95 bottle from UK firm Condimaniac, using Isle of Wight tomato passata and other British ingredients.
Clarkson has been sharing the challenges of running the pub on social media, from being hacked for £28,000 to dealing with 'baffling' toilet habits. He joked about customers missing the bowl, saying: 'Apparently you're not allowed to put CCTV in the cubicles so we'll never know.'
