The Farmer’s Dog, Jeremy Clarkson’s newest venture, is under scrutiny after a surprise visit from Thames Water left the TV star fuming.

From Cars to Casks: Clarkson’s Bold Pub Project

Jeremy Clarkson, best known for Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has expanded his business empire beyond farming. After turning heads with Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, the 65-year-old purchased The Windmill pub in Asthall, near Burford, for around £1 million — renaming it The Farmer’s Dog.

Since its grand opening in August last year, the Cotswolds pub has drawn large crowds, eager to experience Clarkson’s latest countryside endeavor.

Surprise Inspection from Thames Water

In his latest column for The Sun, Clarkson revealed that The Farmer’s Dog recently underwent an unexpected inspection by Thames Water. And it didn’t go down well.

“You might imagine that staff at the near-bankrupt fish-killing enterprise known as Thames Water would be working round the clock,” Clarkson wrote sharply. “Ideally, doing something about the hosepipe ban, rising bills and the torrent of sewage being pumped into the region’s rivers every day, but apparently not.”

Instead, the water company showed up at his pub — and left behind a list of demands.

Water Woes and an “Impossible” Fix

Among the issues highlighted was poor water pressure. According to Clarkson, staff have resorted to harvesting water overnight and storing it in a massive 6,000-litre tank to cope with shortages during the day.

But one request from Thames Water baffled even Clarkson’s plumber: a required modification to the pub’s Rational steam ovens.

“They want a change made to our Rational steam ovens, which, according to our plumber, would be impossible,” Clarkson explained, describing the list of changes as “stupid, petty stuff.”

What’s Next for Clarkson and the Pub?

While the battle with Thames Water rages on, fans can expect The Farmer’s Dog to appear again in Clarkson’s Farm Season 5, currently filming in Oxfordshire. The new season is anticipated to showcase more behind-the-scenes chaos — including this latest pub drama.

Whether Clarkson can overcome water shortages and regulatory red tape remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: running a pub might be even tougher than farming.