Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about the difficulties of running a pub, saying it has been a “total disaster” behind the scenes.
The former Top Gear presenter, who now runs Diddly Squat farm, opened up a boozer in Asthall, Oxfordshire a few months ago where punters can drink his Hawkstone beer and enjoy food produced exclusively by British farmers.
But despite its popularity with members of the public, getting the pub to turn a profit has been monumentally difficult.
Writing for The Times, Clarkson revealed that behind the scenes, “everything is a total disaster”.
He said they had experienced a series of unexpected issues that he and his staff have had to deal with, including a toilet incident that needed “a whole team of chemically trained hazmat engineers” to sort it out.
He added: “The theft, for example, is extraordinary. 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.
“Last Sunday 104 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.”
He continued: “It’s galling to see how much effort is required to make so little money on the farm. It’s worse at the pub.
“The customers are coming. There’s no problem there. But turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible.”
Despite the difficulties, Clarkson said that he was determined to keep going with the pub, which follows on from the farm shop and the farm itself.
“It’s warm and there’s a fire and the staff are friendly and young and happy,” he said.
“It’s a proper, traditional pub. By which I mean you’ll love it, and I’ll lose a fortune and develop a skin disease from the stress of running it.”
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