Jeremy Clarkson has finally added wine to the menu at his Oxfordshire pub, The Farmer's Dog, after previously refusing to serve English wine due to quality concerns. The pub, which opened in 2024, enforces a strict policy of only stocking products 'grown and reared' in Britain, banning items like Coca-Cola and Heinz ketchup.
The new wine range, named Knollbury Fort, was launched over the bank holiday weekend at The Great British Farm-Fest. It includes three varieties: Firelight Pinot Noir (£28.95 per bottle), Midsummer Rosé (£22.95), and Arrowhead White (£21.95). A case of all three costs £69. The wines use grapes from Essex, Kent, and Suffolk.
A statement from the pub explained the change in attitude: 'There was a time when English wine was like a child's recorder playing; you wanted to like it, but it wasn't very good. Fortunately, that time has gone.' The wines are available at the pub, the Diddly Squat farm shop, and online.
The move comes amid a boom in UK wine production, with the Food Standards Agency reporting a 55% increase in English and Welsh wine production in 2025 compared to the previous year, totalling over 16.5 million bottles. The UK wine industry is now valued at approximately £14 billion.
The Farmer's Dog, featured on Prime Video's Clarkson's Farm, has received mixed reviews. Some customers have criticised high prices and long queues, while others praise the quality of food and the unique British-only sourcing policy.
