Picture this: a picturesque Cotswolds pub, a steak pie so proudly British it might as well be wrapped in a Union Jack, and Jeremy Clarkson in the firing line—not from angry bulls this time, but from Twitter users grumbling about a £24 price tag on his pub’s signature dish. Welcome to The Farmer’s Dog, where the pie costs twenty-four quid, and the opinions on value are thicker than the gravy.
Since flinging open the doors to his new establishment near Diddly Squat Farm, Clarkson has faced more social media moaning than a motorway tailback on a bank holiday. Critics (armed, it seems, with calculators and misplaced nostalgia for 1997) have labelled the pie “extortionate,” with one droll customer quipping, “At least Dick Turpin wore a mask”. But if you were expecting Jeremy to roll over, apologise, and start handing out discount codes, you clearly haven’t met the man or his Twitter feed. Instead, his three-word retort was as punchy as week-old wasabi: “Enjoy your chlorine”.
Why the fuss? Clarkson pays a “premium” to stock his menu with top-quality, locally-sourced beef—much of it from other area farmers—and very little from his own herd. The mission? Supporting British agriculture rather than padding the profits of multinational meat processors. If you want bargain-bin beef, processed and bathed in mystery chemicals, there’s always a budget option somewhere. But not here. “If you could make it for less, I’ll give you a job,” he challenged one customer, in a reply drenched in the kind of sarcasm that can only come from wrangling cows, balancing books, and fending off the taxman.
Let’s have a look at what you actually get for your money: steak pie, silky mash, carrots, seasonal greens, and a glug of Hawkstone gravy—a menu that changes with the British growing seasons and adheres strictly to local sourcing. “Our menu is made entirely with ingredients produced on British farms. It’ll change based on what’s in season, but it’ll always be absolutely f****** delicious,” boasts the pub’s website with characteristic subtlety.
Those incensed by the pie’s price might take comfort in learning that, for a stretch, Clarkson claimed he was actually losing money—up to a tenner per delighted punter—proving that farming and hospitality are united by a common theme: hemorrhaging cash with style. But not everyone is up in arms about this. In fact, most diners who’ve tried the pie bark for even higher prices. Fans on social media rave, describing the dish as “worth every penny” and “the best £24 spent,” with at least one regular dismissing the critics and urging them to “stick to McDonalds”.
Even the wise sages of soapland and economics have weighed in. Coronation Street’s Vicky Entwistle finds the price “reasonable,” and a savvy economics student reminds us: “Most pub food is rubbish, quality food, service, and a nice setting cost money. In the grand scheme of things, £24 isn’t much for that package”.
The clincher? Breaking down that £24 leaves precious little for profit once you’ve run the gauntlet of VAT, staff salaries, pensions, fresh produce, non-domestic rates, and the Himalayan cost of keeping the lights and the boiler on. As one customer sagely notes, “There will not be much left at all. Price should be £30”.
So, next time you see The Farmer’s Dog steak pie sitting proudly atop its throne of mash and gravy, remember: you’re not just paying for a meal, but for food integrity, local livelihoods, and the sort of stubborn, noisy British independence that makes this green and pleasant land so brilliantly bonkers. If you want something cheaper, well—enjoy your chlorine.
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