I never thought I’d say this – but I admire Jeremy Clarkson

Something terrible is happening to me. Something that fills me with a deep sense of shame and has me questioning my judgement: I think I’m starting to like Jeremy Clarkson.
Yes, the very same Clarkson who said terrible things about the Duchess of Sussex, and who has, for many years, appeared to be the poster boy for a certain sort of “lad’s lad”. Oh, and I never enjoyed Top Gear, either – speeding cars and bants just isn’t my jam.
But, on the occasions I’ve watched his Amazon Prime hit Clarkson’s Farm, I’ve found myself rather enjoying it. Even more alarmingly, I’ve found Jezza (a tiny bit) endearing, haplessly playing the fall guy to perfection.
But it’s his latest venture that has wildly increased my respect for him: the opening of his pub, The Farmer’s Dog. Clarkson opened the Oxfordshire watering hole at the end of August with one guiding principle – to ensure that everything he served was produced by British farmers. And he’s done just that, with the exception of tonic water and lemons (we can’t produce quinine, or grow lemons – our coastline is glorious, but we’re not blessed with the sunshine of the Amalfi coast, after all).
So what does that mean in terms of his wine list? Well, it’s a concise list made up of all English producers. He’s given playful names to wines that have been bottled under a special label for the pub, such as Chateau Dorking (this is in fact Denbies’ Surrey Gold) and Chateau Tenterden (also known as Chapel Down Flint Dry), and English wine rules the day. To top it off, with a glass of white starting at £5.50, it’s reasonably priced, too.
That’s what I like about Jeremy. He’s done what I wish so many publicans – of both free houses and chains up and down the country – would do, and that’s not just to include English wines on a list, but to actively support them.
There really is no excuse, now, for there not to be English wines available for people to enjoy. Our production isn’t just about sparkling wine any more, which, while wonderful, can come at a more premium price point. We’re seeing great still whites available everywhere from the aisles of Aldi through to the food hall of Fortnum’s.
Yet our nation’s pubs seem stuck in a swampy mire of pinot grigio, prosecco, malbec and white zinfandel – and wine drinkers deserve more!
The generic nature of our pub’s wine lists is even more baffling when you consider the increasing array of craft beers and gins that are now widely available. It’s as though they are so determined to always get a 70 per cent margin on wines served that they overlook the joy of a cash margin. When will they learn that you don’t always have to peddle the cheapest wines to make the most money?
We need to embrace our wine culture here in the UK. I guarantee that if you enjoy wine generally, there will be an English wine you’ll love. But it takes imagination to really champion our products at every level. The supermarkets are doing it well, and are reporting growth in this market – there’s no reason why the same strategy won’t work in our pubs, too.
So many pubs make locally sourced products a selling point in their food, so it would be joyous to see the same happen with their wines. Jeremy has gone all in on his mission to celebrate and support the British producer – and at this point, I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.
I’m certainly not suggesting that all publicans should be as zealous as Clarkson, but it would be nice if a little bit of his enthusiasm for homegrown drinks would rub off on wine lists up and down the country. There’s no reason why a beautiful chardonnay from Kent can’t sit alongside a zingy sauvignon blanc from the Loire – we are neighbours, after all.
So cheers, Jezza. Perhaps I’ll get to toast you with a glass of Lisa’s La Pop (the pub’s only sparkling wine, named after Clarkson’s wife). We might not agree on much, but we can agree on the excitement of English wine.
Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer, presenter and columnist specialising in wine and spirits as well as lifestyle, travel and parenting