Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he 'fainted' after being quoted £350,000 to fix the electricity system at his new Cotswolds pub, The Farmer's Dog. The former Top Gear presenter opened the pub near his Oxfordshire farm in August 2024, but the final days before launch were fraught with disasters.
In his latest book, Diddly Squat: The Farmer's Dog, Clarkson wrote that the kitchen team quickly spotted a major issue with the pub's electrical system. The extractor fan above the ovens failed, triggering a safety mechanism that cut the gas supply, making it impossible for the chef to cook.
The chef warned Clarkson that without upgrading to a three-phase power system, the pub could not open. Clarkson discovered that only one company could supply the upgrade, allowing them to set the price. 'The last number I heard, before I fainted, was £350,000,' he wrote.
The timing was particularly stressful, with the opening just three days away. Clarkson described the electricity as so unreliable that boiling a kettle risked a power cut. Other setbacks included red tape over a defibrillator and fire safety regulations for a vintage tractor planned to hang from the ceiling.
Despite the chaos, The Farmer's Dog, located in Asthall near Burford, opened on 23 August 2024 and now attracts hundreds of customers daily, serving local produce including meat and ale from Clarkson's farm.
