Jeremy Clarkson has been praised after launching a generous initiative to support struggling pubs across the UK.
The TV host and Clarkson’s Farm star is giving away 1,000 free kegs of his Hawkstone beer and cider to help landlords facing difficult times.
The giveaway amounts to an impressive 89,000 pints in total, with the beverages being produced using crops from Clarkson’s Cotswolds farm.
Opening up about his initiative, he said: “If you’ve got a pub and if you want to see if this strategy works for you as well, get in touch with us at our website.”
The move comes as many pubs across Britain face mounting financial pressures, with the former Top Gear star knowing the strain farmers are feeling.
Clarkson opened his own pub, The Farmer’s Dog, in Burford, West Oxfordshire, last year, and the experience gave him first-hand insight into the challenges facing publicans today.
Jeremy Clarkson has vowed to help struggling pub owners
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“The only thing saving me from financial ruin is we serve Hawkstone lager and Hawkstone cider,” Clarkson revealed.
His comments suggest that even celebrity-owned establishments aren’t immune to the financial pressures affecting the industry.
The former Top Gear presenter appears to be hoping that his own successful strategy of serving Hawkstone products could help other struggling venues.
His initiative offers landlords the chance to test whether the popular beverages might boost their own businesses.
One landlord praised Clarkson’s gesture, branding it a “really kind one” in the comments of the post, while a second Instagram user weighed in: “You’re brilliant. Love how the British people can be helpful.”
A third weighed in to laud the scheme too, but couldn’t resist a dig at the quality of the post itself: “Good on you guys for this scheme, but surely a brand as big as yours can sort the audio out for your recordings.”
“The best pub in the wooorlddd,” another commented before a fifth focused on the quality of the beer: “Hawkstone draught is actually something else, can’t deny.”
Despite the goodwill behind Clarkson’s initiative, some industry insiders suggest more substantial support may be needed to truly impact struggling venues.
The pub industry in the UK continues to face significant challenges, with nearly six pubs being forced to close every week last year amid rising costs.
In total, 289 pubs shut their doors in 2024, resulting in approximately 4,500 job losses, with industry leaders pointing to the spiralling energy costs as a major factor in these closures.
The former Top Gear star has pulled on his own struggles with his own pub
They have also warned that tax hikes could force even more establishments to close permanently.
The initiative calls on government ministers to throw a financial lifeline to struggling pubs across the country.