Diddly Squat Farm Shop sits in the Cotswolds, near the village of Chadlington, just outside Chipping Norton in West Oxfordshire.

It has topped the list in a ranking by the country lifestyle experts at Welligogs, who analysed Tripadvisor ratings, Google review scores and Instagram following to reveal the UK’s highest-scoring farm shops.

Tess Annan, manager at Welligogs, told the Express: “Farm shops are such an important part of the British countryside experience because they give visitors the opportunity to experience a destination beyond its traditional tourist attractions.

“Whether you’re picking up locally produced food, stopping for lunch or simply browsing what a farm has to offer, visiting a farm shop can be a lovely way to slow down and experience the character of the surrounding countryside.

“Diddly Squat is obviously one of the country’s most recognisable farm shops, but what’s particularly interesting about this ranking is that there are so many brilliant alternatives across the UK.”

Diddly Squat Farm Shop scored 3.7 stars on Tripadvisor, 4.4 on Google, and boasts 2.8 million Instagram followers.

It was opened by the former Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, in 2020, and features in the hit Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm.

The shop sells produce from the 1,000-acre farm as well as locally sourced food and drink, including meat, honey, jams, chutneys, cheeses, and Hawkstone beer.

Its popularity has made it a major visitor attraction, with customers regularly travelling from across the UK to visit.

Cornerstone Pubs, introduced on August 26, is part of a strategy to bring together some of Greene King’s existing value and carvery venues under a single concept focused on community pubs.

Greene King, which operates around 2,600 pubs across the UK, including 18 in Oxfordshire, said the move is not a large-scale rebranding, but rather a consolidation of select venues.

Speaking to the Daily Express, Clair Preston Beer, chief digital and commercial officer at Greene King, said: “Cornerstone Pubs helps to strengthen our value-led offering in local communities across the country, bringing together our existing value and carvery formats to enhance customer experience and drive operational excellence.”

Customers are not expected to notice immediate changes, as the pubs will retain their current branding for now, and staff and management teams will remain in place.

However, Greene King has indicated that future updates to menus and entertainment options could be introduced at these locations.

Cornerstone Pubs will operate alongside Greene King’s other pub brands, including Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill, and Wacky Warehouse.

The launch coincides with wider changes across Greene King’s estate, including a review of 65 pubs for potential sale and plans announced earlier this year to convert 150 venues into tenanted pubs.

These changes are unrelated to the Cornerstone Pubs rollout.

Greene King’s focus remains on supporting its core estate while exploring new ways to deliver value and improve the customer experience in neighbourhood pubs.

TG Jones, formerly known as WH Smith, has secured court approval for a major restructuring, which is expected to lead to the closure of around 150 stores and affect hundreds of jobs.

In July, TG Jones’ restructuring plan was approved by the High Court in a move which will save the business from insolvency.

Closing-down sale signs have appeared in TG Jones shops across the UK, with customers also able to shop its sale online.

UK high street shops that no longer exist

TG Jones’ website is giving customers the chance to buy items for as little as £1, with everything from gift bags to books and toys included in the closing-down sale.

The retailer warned online customers: “Don’t miss your last chance to buy and grab your favourites for less today – once items in our Sale are gone, they really are gone forever!”

Online offers include:

• 50% off signed & special edition books
• Up to 50% off stationery
• 20% off LEGO sets
• Up to 75% off Christmas shop

It has been announced that stores in Essex (Basildon, Southend and Maldon) will close in September and October, and the Stroud store is also hosting a sale for customers before it leaves the high street.

The chain of shops was renamed to TG Jones last year after being bought by Modella, while WH Smith kept its group of stores in travel locations such as airports and train stations.

There are around 450 TG Jones stores with 4,700 staff, mostly in the UK.

It previously warned that the overhaul would put jobs at risk, but didn’t disclose how many workers will be affected.

In July, Alex Willson, chief executive of TG Jones, said: “We welcome the court’s approval of our restructuring plan.

“This decision allows us to move ahead with our turnaround strategy.

“The plan protects the substantial core of the store estate and makes TG Jones a stronger, more sustainable business.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the colleagues, partners and stakeholders who engaged constructively throughout the process, and to Modella Capital for its continued financial commitment.”

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Tom Smith KC, for TG Jones, said that the “working assumption” is that around 150 stores will close as a result of the plans, as landlords who do not wish to accept the reduced rate can choose to terminate the lease.

He also said the company has suffered from “long-term sales decline”, exacerbated by high inflation, increased online shopping, reduced consumer spending, with higher labour costs and taxes.

The rebranding from WH Smith has also damaged sales, he added.

Is your local TG Jones store closing its doors? Let us know in the comments.