Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop (aka Clarkson’s Farm) is living up to its name as the financial woes pile higher than any mound of manure in the Cotswolds. Once the darling of curious tourists and petrolhead fans of Jezza, the shop’s value has plummeted by nearly half in the span of a year, now sitting at a meager £161,642 (NZ$359,006) – down from £305,941 – as per the latest filed accounts with Companies House.
The farm shop, famous for selling produce, booze, and souvenirs (and infamous for angering locals due to traffic congestion), seems to be running on fumes. Despite housing stock worth £239,474 and machinery valued at £77,219, outstanding debts have hit hard, reducing the overall value to less than £200,000. That’s a lot of kale to shift to make up the gap.
To make matters worse, the shop – which employs 22 people and has become a tourist hotspot – will close its proverbial barn doors until March 2025, giving it a rocky start to the new year. A message on its website confirms that December 29 marked the shop’s last trading day before its extended winter slumber.
While fans lament the dry spell on Jezza-inspired trinkets, locals may find some relief in the temporary respite from the caravan of Clarkson’s devotees clogging rural roads in hopes of spotting the former “Top Gear” star. For now, Clarkson can mull over these challenges in his brewery or pub – assuming the pint glasses haven’t all been nicked, which, based on the man himself, has happened to over 100 of them in one day.
In the meantime, Diddly Squat Farm Shop seems poised for a long journey back to profitability – hopefully revving up more success post-March. Until then, the only thing guaranteed is that Clarkson will find a way to wring humour from the situation, whether the finances stack up or not.
Check out our visit to Jezza’s pub ‘The Farmer’s Dog‘
