Crime & Safety
Outcry from shoppers amid rumours Asda axing pizza counter
The create your own pizza counters have long been a popular feature at Asda, allowing shoppers to choose a base, sauce, and toppings.
Prices start at £3.33 for a medium size and rise to £4.93 for the large option, and have often earned praise for their affordability.
However, shoppers are now concerned that Asda is planning to close down its pizza counters following a viral X post.
Outcry from Asda shoppers amid rumours of axing pizza counter
Rumours of Asda’s pizza counters closing follow a post from one X user, sharing: “Going to need @asda to confirm or deny the rumours that the create your own pizza counters are going from all stores.”
The post has since gained more than 811,000 views and created a lot of stir online.
One concerned shopper said, “The @AsdaServiceTeam @asda pizzas are unreal.
“Best not be getting rid of the pizza counters in stores.”
Another X user wrote: “If true, this is the worst news of 2026.”
A third person said, “That’s a shame if true.
“They’re the best pizzas.”
It is not the first time there has been concern that Asda was ditching its pizza counters.
At the end of last year, a Reddit post in the group r/Asda asked fellow users if the counters were “permanently gone”.
Sharing: “My local Asda used to have a pizza counter where you could get a fresh one made.
“It has been closed for months with a sign saying, ‘temporarily closed.’
“Is this just the new normal now, or is it coming back?”
Members of the group commented: “My store still has a pizza counter; however, we lost our ‘Create your own’ pizzas recently.”
Another user said, “We have a successful pizza counter.”
Asda has been contacted for a comment.
Would you be upset if the pizza counters left Asda’s stores? Let us know in the comments.
The Farmer’s Dog, situated just outside Burford in West Oxfordshire, is the Oxford Mail’s Pub of the Week.
Long before the TV cameras rolled in, locals knew the spot as The Windmill, a restaurant, bar and wedding venue set in several acres with sublime sweeping views over the Cotswolds.
It traded as a refurbished barn‑style destination with a strong food offering and event space, drawing in diners from Witney, Burford and beyond.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson offering public free tickets to new music festival
When the business went up for sale, locals were left wondering what might come next for the place, given how many pubs have closed in recent years.
Enter Clarkson. The former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter revealed in 2024 that he had snapped up The Windmill for around £1,000,000 after a lengthy search for a pub of his own.
The site was reborn as The Farmer’s Dog and featured in the most recent series of Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, with fans turning up in their droves for opening day in August 2024.
Since then, Mr Clarkson has set about turning the Asthall pub into what he bills as a “proper British pub” with a twist.
READ MORE: Historic England issues statement to Jeremy Clarkson over Cotswolds pub
The building has been renovated and expanded, with more catering space, outdoor seating and a striking marquee from The Grand Tour parked up in the grounds to act as an extension of the offer.
Inside, visitors will find a polished country‑chic interior, a busy bar and even the odd piano performance beneath a tractor suspended from the ceiling.
What really sets The Farmer’s Dog apart, though, is its fiercely local ethos, with Mr Clarkson insisting that the pub relies solely on produce made in Britain.
The pub avoids imported ingredients wherever possible, meaning that those in search of ketchup or cola will be left disappointed.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson to make member of public millionaire this month
An outdoor kitchen, dubbed The Farmer’s Puppy, serves meaty street‑food style dishes to those who prefer something quick over the in-pub restaurant.
Hops & Chops, the on‑site butcher and Hawkstone shop, and a small Diddly Squat Farm Shop outpost both sit in the Grand Tour tent on the pub’s grounds alongside another bar.
No Clarkson venue would be complete without Hawkstone, the drinks brand he helped create using barley from Diddly Squat Farm.
Hawkstone lager and IPA, brewed at Hawkstone Brewery near Bourton‑on‑the‑Water, feature prominently on the bar, giving punters the chance to drink beer made with grain grown just up the road at his Chadlington farm.
READ MORE: Rock legend pays surprise visit to Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub
Ciders and other Hawkstone lines help reinforce the all‑British and farming theme, and today, The Farmer’s Dog is far more than a celebrity vanity project, which several anticipated.
TripAdvisor reviewers praise its fresh, locally sourced British cooking and friendly staff, even if some baulk at Cotswolds‑level prices.
With a restaurant, bar, outdoor tent, butcher, bottle shop and farm‑shop add‑on, it has become a full day out for Clarkson fans, food lovers and curious locals alike.
Gorgeous surrounding views, good drinks on tap and a beautiful stone watering hole with a huge garden make for a worthwhile trip, whatever the weather.
Roger Longshaw, a member of The Oxfordshire Golf Club in Thame, will attempt the feat on Friday, July 17, as part of the club’s Captain’s Charity Day.
Play will begin at around 4.30am and is expected to finish around 9.45pm.
Chris Webb, club captain, said: “Seeing what Dave, and my sister went through was awful and I’m determined to do what I can to help raise money to support others.
“Roger is extremely fit and he’s really looking forward to this challenge.
“He has taken part in endurance events like this before but has never sought donations so this is very much a one-off.”
The challenge involves covering around 65 miles and 4,500ft of elevation – equivalent to climbing Ben Nevis.
Mr Webb chose to support the MND Association in memory of his brother-in-law Dave, who died from the disease in 2022.
Luke Robson from the MND Association said: “In the time it takes Roger to complete his incredible challenge, six people in the UK will have been told they have MND, and in that moment, life changes forever.
“Thanks to the efforts of people like Roger, Chris and the players at The Oxfordshire Golf Club, we can help to fund more research which gets us closer to the development of potential new treatments for people with this devastating disease.
“We are so grateful for everything the team at the club is doing.”
The event takes place across three days at Aintree Racecourse, with Opening Day and Ladies Day taking place so far.
But the main event, the Grand National, will take place on Saturday, April 11.
The race will see 34 horses and jockeys jump 30 fences across the four-mile route with a £1 million prize up for grabs.
Zeus Power! ⚡️
A strong winner of the @oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle 👏 pic.twitter.com/n1njkNYjxR
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 10, 2026
So, you do not miss seeing “the world’s greatest steeplechase”, here is all you need to know about the 2026 Grand National, including the start time, runners and where to watch.
How to watch the 2026 Grand National
Coverage for the Grand National will kick off on ITV1 and ITVX from 3.15pm.
The race will start at 4pm on Saturday, April 11.
Saturday’s final race will also be shown online at Racing.tv .
The first (12.45pm) and final (5pm) races on Saturday will not be available to watch on ITV.
Grand National 2026 runners
The horses taking part in the race are:
- I Am Maximus
- Panic Attack
- Jagwar
- Grangeclare West
- Johnnywho
- Monty’s Star
- Iroko
- Oscar’s Brother
- Captain Cody
- Haiti Couleurs
- Gorgeous Tom
- Gerri Colombe
- Final Orders
- Quai De Bourbon
- Stellar Story
Who has the rights to the Grand National?
ITV currently has the rights to broadcast The Grand National in the UK, which it has had since 2017.
The race was first broadcast on the BBC back in 1960, and it stayed that way until 2013 when Channel 4 got the rights, which lasted until 2016.
Along with the Epsom Derby, the Grand National is one of two horse races that must be broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK.
Will you be watching the Grand National? Let us know in the comments below.
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