Jeremy Clarkson rages 'it's scandalous' after pledge to help British farmers causes havoc at new pub
Jeremy Clarkson is not happy with the costs of buying British at his new pub
AMAZON
Jeremy Clarkson's preparations for the grand opening of his all-new Cotswolds pub provided him with a fresh headache this week.
The Clarkson's Farm host has been vocal about the trials and tribulations he's faced with his new project already, from dodgy finds on the site to a complete overhaul of its interior.
The police were even called to The Windmill in Burford, Oxfordshire earlier this week following an admin error from land agent 'Cheerful' Charlie Ireland.
But despite the obstacles, The Windmill will open next weekend, as Clarkson confirmed in his annual A-levels tweet: "Don’t worry if your A level results aren’t what you were hoping for. I got a C and two Us, and here I am, 46 years later, with my own pub.
"It opens next weekend if you fancy dropping in." (sic)
However, in his latest column published on the same day as his X post, Clarkson revealed a "scandalous" hiccup he's faced after he pledged only to serve British produce at the pub.
Jeremy Clarkson's The Windmill pub will open this month
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Clarkson explained all, writing: "When I decided to buy a pub, I said to myself that to help British farmers, it would only sell stuff that had been grown or reared in the UK."
This means Clarkson has decided not to serve the basics such as coffee or cola but is able to stick to his promise when it comes to the meat, fruit and veg.
"Then I started to struggle," he continued in the Sun. "I found tea that had been grown in Cornwall and even sourced British black peppercorns, British salt and British sugar. And before you ask, yes, all the wines are British too."
Clarkson did make some allowance when it came to things like chocolate but revealed his "biggest annoyance" went to the cost it would take to butcher one of his own pigs rather than importing abroad.
Jeremy Clarkson and Charlie Ireland in Clarkson's Farm
AMAZON
"If I take one of my own pigs, slaughter it and butcher it, each one of the resultant sausages will cost me 74p," he said.
Clarkson then confessed: "Whereas if I buy imported pig meat, the cost drops to 18p. That’s scandalous."
The havoc of competing with the costs of cheap imported meat isn't an issue unfamiliar to Clarkson who documented during his Amazon Prime series just how much of an impact the issue had on British farmers.
Clarkson had tried to open a restaurant on his farm using produce from local farmers who were desperate for an avenue to ship their product at a profit as imports continued to decimate on their margins.
Judging by Clarkson's words, The Windmill may still offer a golden opportunity for British farmers as the former Top Gear star commits to helping farmers just like him as he isn't letting the chaotic profit-cutting of buying British stop him from doing so.
In recent days, Clarkson has unveiled another unique way in which he's hoping to lend a helping hand to farmers in need.
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Clarkson and his beer brand Hawkstone have teamed up with the UK's leading text support service, Shout, to provide 24/7 support for farmers with mental health battles.
In a video shared to Hawkstone's Instagram account, Clarkson said: "Farming can be a bit of a struggle so if you are finding it a bit tough at the moment, text Hawkstone to 85258 and you will get free confidential support from a very experienced team of people at an organisation called Shout. It has got to be worth it, rather than suffering in silence."
His co-star and Diddly Squat Farm manager Kaleb Cooper also said: “Farming is an incredibly hard job and there are statistics out there to show that mental health challenges in farming have risen in recent years.
"Some people don’t like talking about their problems face-to-face or find it difficult to open up to someone they know, so we have teamed up with Shout to allow farmers to send a simple text and get the support they need."
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