Latest news with #Hawkstone
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jeremy Clarkson sends foul-mouthed response to David Beckham's text message
Jeremy Clarkson has told how he received an 'outrageous' text message from Sir David Beckham and made sure to give the former England captain a piece of his mind Jeremy Clarkson reacted angrily with a stern warning, saying "you better f***ing not," in response to a message from Sir David Beckham. The former Top Gear presenter had initially reached out to congratulate David on being chosen as a guest editor for Country Life magazine. Since retiring from football, the 50-year-old former England star has adopted a rural lifestyle in Oxfordshire, developing a passion for beekeeping and growing his own vegetables. However, after Jeremy congratulated David on his upcoming guest editor role, their friendly exchange took a turn. Speaking to The Times, Jeremy, 65, revealed: "I said congratulations and he replied, 'Thanks for your message; not official yet, but if it happens I'll have a nice pint of Stella.'" Jeremy, who has also embraced rural life at his Diddly Squat Farm, took umbrage with David's choice of celebratory drink, given his own brewery, Hawkstone, which he launched with business partner John Hornby in 2021. He has since expanded his venture by purchasing a nearby pub, now known as The Farmer's Dog. In response to David's mention of Stella, Jeremy shot back: "You had better f***ing not," reports Gloucestershire Live. He added: "If he is going to drink anything that's not Hawkstone, it should be Beck's." John quizzed whether the 115-cap footballer is "from a long line of Belgian farmers," casting doubt over his choice of a Danish lager. David Beckham, fresh from receiving his knighthood, is set to guest edit an upcoming issue of Country Life magazine, where he will share his favourite recipes, craftspeople, and rural champions. Speaking about the opportunity, Beckham expressed his enthusiasm: "I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read." He's eager to work with the editorial team: "I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family." Nestled in Oxfordshire, Beckham lives near Jeremy Clarkson and has been a regular at the Diddly Squat Farm Shop, much to the delight of local staff and customers. Lisa Hogan, Jeremy Clarkson's partner, disclosed how Beckham would brighten up Sundays for the shop girls, popping in to grab milk with his daughter Harper: "He comes in every Sunday with his daughter to get the milk." Gerald Cooper, known for his role on Clarkson's Farm alongside Kaleb Cooper, has even shared a moment with Beckham, with a photo of them together gaining viral attention after Jeremy posted it, captioned simply: "Gerald. And another man."
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Jeremy Clarkson: ‘I'm never starting another business'
Jeremy Clarkson, the television presenter turned farming entrepreneur, has called time on any future commercial ventures, saying: 'I am not starting another business as long as I live.' Clarkson, 65, said that the Farmer's Dog pub in the Cotswolds, which is central to his most recent Amazon series, will be his final venture. Speaking to The Times before the publication on Friday of this year's Sunday Times 100, he added: 'I'm done with business now.' Hawkstone, Clarkson's brewing interest, features in the annual ranking of Britain's fastest-growing private companies, having almost tripled its revenues to £21.3 million in the past year. Sitting upstairs in his pub, which overlooks the Windrush valley near Burford, west Oxfordshire, Clarkson said he didn't 'get' business, despite making millions from creating and fronting TV shows such as The Grand Tour: 'I don't understand it and am not motivated by money. I just want a good craic.' He remains ambitious for his existing ventures, which range from Clarkson's Farm, the hit Amazon show now in its fourth series, the lucrative shop on his Diddly Squat farm, the pub and Hawkstone, in which he is the largest shareholder. While Clarkson loves the beer — 'Oh, this is so good,' he said, sipping a pint of Hawkstone Bounder — he is less keen on the paperwork. 'I have to go to board meetings where people talk in a foreign language. We don't even drink there, we're so busy using acronyms. 'In Q1 with the Ebitda running at 15 and Y-o-Y growth of …'. Y-o-Y do I go to board meetings?' he quipped. Clarkson opens the Farmer's Dog ANDREW FOX FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES He is, however, taking on one big new project next year: hosting a large arable farming trade show, Cereals, at Diddly Squat. This year's Cereals event was attended by 20,000 people when it took place in Lincolnshire earlier this month. Hawkstone has suffered several product recalls. In April this year it recalled cans of Hawkstone Black and Hawkstone Spa Lager after the Food Standards Agency picked up that they contained wheat, which was not mentioned on the label. This presented a health risk for anyone with an intolerance to wheat or gluten, or with coeliac disease, the regulator explained. • Jeremy Clarkson: 'Every customer in my new pub loses me £10' The Cotswold Brewing Company, the business behind the Hawkstone brand, said at the time that customer safety was of 'paramount importance … we take all issues regarding the production of our products extremely seriously.'
Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Jeremy Clarkson: ‘I want to put Peroni out of business'
It's 1pm on a gloriously sunny Friday and it appears that most of Britain has downed tools and headed to the Farmer's Dog in west Oxfordshire. Children in pushchairs compete for space on the narrow footpaths with hairy bikers and young couples holding hands. 'Goodness me,' says one elderly man navigating the crowds while carrying 12 bottles of Hawkstone lager that he's just bought from the shop in the pub garden. Jeremy Clarkson owns the pub and is Hawkstone's largest shareholder. He also owns a nearby farm, Diddly Squat, and all three feature prominently in his Amazon TV series, Clarkson's Farm. Hence the crowds today. The former Top Gear presenter arrives in good spirits via the staff entrance and pops up the back stairs to an area known as the Farmers' Clubhouse, where Owen Jenkins, the managing director of Hawkstone, and Johnny Hornby, Clarkson's fellow shareholder in the brewery, a friend and a marketing whizz, are waiting. Hornby pours three and a half pints of Bounder, the latest Hawkstone brew. It's a 4.2 per cent Helles golden lager and it tastes wonderfully crisp on a hot day. • Explore the Sunday Times 100 — interviews, company profiles and more The question is: will Clarkson enjoy it too? He's on Mounjaro, the weight-loss drug, and is looking better for it. It has put him off snacking. His approach to a pint, though, is altogether more determined: 'You have to fight it. Don't give in,' he urges Hornby, who is also injecting and is the one sitting with the half pint. Clarkson says he pictures the Danish scientist [Lotte Bjerre Knudsen] whose research led to the development of injectable weight-loss drugs in this battle of wits. 'It's not just enjoying the pint. It's the fact I've beaten [her],' he adds gleefully. He takes a guilt-free glug of Bounder. 'Oh, this is so good. Jaguar should be marketing this as Jags are for bounders — Terry-Thomas,' he adds, referring to the character actor and setting the tone for the interview. Ably assisted by his Bounder, Clarkson tackles the perception that he's really only lent his name to Hawkstone; that it's neither something he is passionate about, nor any good. 'Some people assume it is a Ryan Reynolds-backed, Kylie Minogue-backed liquid. There is a polite look on their faces and they think, I'll take a swig and say 'well done', in a patronising way. But there is always this moment where they go, 'Actually, that is f***ing good.'' Ploughing on, he suggests Minogue's wine may not be a winner. 'You buy Kylie's rosé because you are a Kylie fan — you have it once and then go back to proper rosé. With Hawkstone, it is demonstrably better than anything from Italy, Germany, Spain or America.' The recently knighted David Beckham gets it in the neck next. 'I'm going to betray a loyalty here. This is from David,' he says, reading out an exchange on a messaging app. 'I said congratulations [on Beckham's selection to guest edit Country Life magazine] and he replied, 'Thanks for your message; not official yet, but if it happens I'll have a nice pint of Stella.'' Clarkson pauses for effect, raising a bushy eyebrow. 'You had better f***ing not' was his straightforward reply, before adding his punchline: 'If he is going to drink anything that's not Hawkstone, it should be Beck's.' Hornby joins in. 'Is he Belgian? If he is, then that's fine. Does he come from a long line of Belgian farmers that he's trying to help? If so, that is completely noble.' The glasses are now half empty, but the laughing is getting louder. Having put Beckham and Minogue in their place, Clarkson turns to Hawkstone, the Cotswold brewery in which he acquired his stake in 2021. 'It's the grown-up element of the whole operation,' he says. 'You have the farm shop, the pub and TV show, which are all entertainment. Hawkstone is grown-up as I have to go to board meetings where people talk in a foreign language. We don't even drink in board meetings, we are so busy using acronyms. 'In Q1 with the Ebitda running at 15 and YoY growth of …' YoY do I go to board meetings?' he asks. Later he makes clear that the Farmer's Dog, which now employs 146 people, will be his last 'business'. 'I'm done with business now. I am not starting another business as long as I live. I don't understand it and am not motivated by money. I just want a good craic.' The Bounder we are drinking is a spring special made with experimental hops grown in Britain. Hornby says they hope the demand Hawkstone is creating will help to turn around the industry's fortunes: 'The British hops industry has been in steady decline, but the amount we have now started to do with British hops could add 30 per cent to the size of the industry next year,' he says. The 'grown in Britain' bit is important to them all. Four of the eight beers and ciders on tap at the Farmer's Dog are made from '100 per cent British' ingredients, Hornby says. Clarkson adds: 'Hopefully, everybody benefits from Hawkstone, the Farmer's Dog and Diddly Squat. Whether you are growing black pepper in Cornwall or barley in Scotland, it is all backing British farming. We were stuck on hops, but if we can say to the hop growers of Britain that we have enough demand to make it worth your while expanding your hops business, then that would make me incredibly happy.' Hawkstone is now available in 2,000 pubs, up from 500 last summer, and is also stocked in Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Ocado and Majestic Wine. Of the larger pub groups, Young's is trialling it at 30 of its pubs: Simon Dodd, the chief executive, made a point of highlighting it as one of its most exciting new beers, alongside fruit-beer maker Jubel, which is also on this year's Sunday Times 100 (No 47). • The Clarkson's Farm effect: convincing us to buy British produce Hawkstone's sales almost tripled from £7.8 million in 2024 to £21.3 million in the year to this March. The plan for the rest of 2025? 'Sell tons of beer and put Peroni out of business,' Clarkson replies. 'I want the Peroni board saying, 'What the hell has gone wrong? We're selling nothing in the UK.' I want total domination of the British lager market.' He'll allow Carling to continue, an admission that Hawkstone is at the top end of beer pricing — a few pubs have delisted Hawkstone because it is more expensive than other options. To cope with demand, Hawkstone works with partners such as the Glasgow-based Wellpark, home to Tennent's and part of C&C Group, where its Hawkstone Premium lager is brewed. The Herefordshire-based Weston family, makers of Henry Westons Cider and Stowford Press, produce the Hawkstone ciders, which are endorsed by Kaleb Cooper, Clarkson's co-star on Clarkson's Farm. A small Oxfordshire distillery, Wood Brothers, makes Hawkstone gin and vodka. Meanwhile, Clarkson's farm, Diddly Squat, will host a massive event next June, Clarkson says, providing another opportunity to flog more Hawkstone. 'We are hosting Cereals, which will be enormous.' I query what it is. 'I'd never heard of it either, but it's a trade [event] for 25,000, 30,000 farmers. It is usually in Cambridgeshire [it was actually held in Lincolnshire this year], and they go to a farm and they look at wheat and talk about fertiliser. It's coming to Diddly Squat next year.' And then he gets to the point of the story. 'Kaleb is panicking. If every farmer in the country comes and he has done all the farming, they'll be checking his work.' Clarkson then becomes more thoughtful. He's been pondering the role of pubs in towns and villages, given the rate of attrition in recent years. 'It's been playing on my mind,' he begins. 'If you no longer have a village doctor, policeman, school, shop, vicar and if you lose the pub, then what is a village? It is just a collection of houses.' He has a campaign in mind, and already has a slogan: 'Go to your local pub on your way home from work.' His idea is that people can reconnect and perhaps even disconnect, for a moment, from the rush of modern life. It might even make people happier. 'Just have a pint, a chat with someone. It is a bit less time scrolling on social media, a bit less time sitting with your non-communicative children. Go and have a pint. It is a sensible and nice thing to do. It benefits the individual, the pub. Even in London. If you come out of the Tube station, don't go home. Stop off at the pub you walk past every night.' And off he goes into the sunshine, walking the boards of his own pub.
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Hawkstone
Rank 23Annual sales growth over three years 134.11%Brewery 'I did a beer,' Jeremy Clarkson announced in 2021 — and so Hawkstone was born. The 65-year-old TV star turned farmer had decided to use his spring barley to make his own lager in the second series of Clarkson's Farm, his TV show about his misadventures running Diddly Squat Farm in Gloucestershire. • How Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone beer is going global The brand, led by managing director Owen Jenkins, 44, nearly tripled sales to £21.3 million in the year to March as it expanded into more than 1,500 UK pubs and launched in Waitrose. The brewery's growing range of beers is also available at Clarkson's own Cotswolds pub, the Farmer's Dog. Explore the Sunday Times 100 — interviews, company profiles and more
Wales Online
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Clarkson's Farm fans told to do one thing if they can't book table at Jeremy's pub
Clarkson's Farm fans told to do one thing if they can't book table at Jeremy's pub Jeremy Clarkson's pub, The Farmer's Dog, became an immediate hit with Clarkson's Farm fans and foodies alike when it opened last summer, making it difficult to reserve a table Jeremy Clarkson's pub has proven popular (file) (Image: Qian Jun/MB Media, Getty Images ) Diners who can't book a table at Jeremy Clarkson's pub have been issued some advice as the Clarkson's Farm star told them to 'come anyway.' The Farmer's Dog became an instant hit with food fans when it opened last summer, with the process of setting up the pub documented on the fourth season of the Amazon Prime show. However, its popularity means it has become difficult to reserve a table for food and some fans have expressed frustration at their inability to secure their spot at the watering hole. However, according to Clarkson, all is not lost if you can't pre-book. Taking to Instagram, he said: "If you can't get a reservation at the Farmer's Dog, don't worry. Come along anyway. "Head to the tent in the garden, grab a pint and something to eat and sit outside. "The food's brilliant and the view will make your hair itch. "It's amazing. Bring the dog. And the kids. Or don't." Article continues below The accompanying video featured mouth-watering clips of food served at the coveted pub and shots of the bar's interior and garden space, including a sign that read: "You've seen the show, now you're eating the cast!" Those wanting to eat at the Burford pub can book for lunch, dinner or Sunday roast, but they'll have to be quick as spots are snapped up quickly. Those who can't get in can also eat at The Farmer's Puppy, where diners can enjoy "a British farmed and sourced selection of food and drinks." The pub's website says: "We've got everything from our award-winning Hawkstone to delicious burgers." Kitchen hours run from 9.30am to 3pm Tuesday to Thursday and 9.30am to 4pm Friday to Sunday. The Diddly Squat Farm Shop also has a location at the pub, where Clarkson's Farm fans can pick up products they may be familiar with from the show. Hops and Chops, Clarkson's 'butcher and bottle shop', promises the "finest British-reared and farmed meat" as well as Hawkstone lager and cider. Article continues below Commenting on Clarkson's clip, one person said: "Best from The Cotswolds as always." Another added: "It looks perfection and if your good self were there, bliss! Worth a trip from Wales definitely." Meanwhile a third chimed in: "The most incredible restaurant, the food, service, venue! Can't wait to come back!!"
