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Jeremy Clarkson pub rocked by pint glass theft
The former Top Gear presenter has described the situation as “worse than galling” as drinkers at his pub steal branded glasses in their droves to take home as souvenirs.
The team at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub – The Farmer’s Dog in Burford, Oxfordshire – has pleaded with punters to stop stealing its branded pint glasses as the theft is taking its toll on the business.
Clarkson revealed that last week alone 104 pint glasses “went missing”, which was making it harder for the pub to turn a profit.
“People seem to have it in their heads that if they come in for a pint they are entitled to go home with the glass in which it was served,” he said.
“Last Sunday 104 [pint glasses] went missing. And that cost must be added to the £100 a day we spend on fuel for the generator, the £400 a week it costs to provide warmth on the terrace and the £27,000 a month we must spend on parking and traffic marshals to keep the council off our back.”
Some of the Hawkstone-branded pint glasses have already appeared on ebay.
Fighting talk
To dissuade customers from pocketing his pint glasses Clarkson has resorted to printing new beer mats featuring his face and the words: “Jeremy is watching…don’t steal his pint glasses!”
Clarkson expanded his farm and brewing operation to open The Farmer’s Pub in August 2024. UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer is allegedly already barred from Clarkson’s pub, which is located just 10 miles away from the motoring journalist’s Diddly Squat Farm.
At the time of the pub’s opening, Nik Antona, national chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), told the drinks business he hoped that “Clarkson could attract the same level of media attention to the challenges that the pub, brewing and cider making trades are facing, as he has done with the farming industry for his recent ventures.”
Speaking about the pint glass theft and financial pressures of running a pub will no doubt go some way to doing just that.
Marston’s deal
In December, db revealed that pub operator Marston’s has agreed to serve Hawkstone Lager at more than 100 of its locations across the UK. In doing so, Marston’s becomes the first national pub brand to have Clarkson’s flagship lager on tap.
Marston’s coffers are looking healthy, with the company’s 2024 financial report showing that it generated £898.6 million in revenue last year, up from £872.3m in 2023. The exclusive Hawkstone deal is just one way in which board chair Ken Lever plans to “deliver sustainable and incremental long-term value for our shareholders.”
Underlying operating profit from continuing operations increased at Marston’s by 17.9% to £147.2 million in 2024, up from £124.8 million in 2023.
The price of a pint of Hawstone beer or cider at The Farmer’s Dog ranges between £5.50 and £6, but it is not yet known how much Marston’s will charge for a pint of Clarkson’s lager in its own pubs.
Last November, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) announced it was axing a total of 11 brands by the end of 2024 including: Eagle IPA, Banks’s Sunbeam, Banks’s Mild, Ringwood Old Thumper, Ringwood Boondoggle, Marston’s 61 Deep, Marston’s Old Empire, Jennings Cumberland Ale, Mansfield Dark Smooth, Mansfield Original Bitter, and Bombardier. The company cited “falling demand” as the reason for the reshuffle.
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