Jeremy Clarkson satisfies controversial rule with pub change

The Asthall boozer, originally called The Windmill, was bought by the former Top Gear host for around £1,000,000.

It was reopened as The Farmer’s Dog last August and has proved a popular tourist spot with fans coming to try a pint of Hawkstone.

From the get-go, Mr Clarkson vowed to only use and serve British produce at the pub, meaning that no ketchup or cola is served onsite.

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Jeremy Clarkson at his Cotswolds pub in Oxfordshire. (Image: Prime Video)

The 66-year-old previously stated: “If it’s not grown and reared in Britain, we’re not selling it, and that’s the end of it.”

This has proved somewhat controversial with some patrons visiting over the past couple of years who have spoken on the lack of either product.

Despite offering a large variety of alcohol at the pub, including lager, stout, cider, vodka, wine and gin, one major drink has been absent until now.

Traditionally, rum is made from molasses, which is a by-product of the sugar cane industry, and this molasses is fermented and aged before being bottled and sold.

This presented an issue for the former Top Gear presenter, as sugar cane cannot grow in the cooler climates of the UK.

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Alkemy founders, Rob and Will Tapster. (Image: Alkemy)

Despite several rum distilleries opening up in the UK in recent years, the problem still persists, as some form of sugar cane must be imported for rum to be produced.

This missing spirit issue at The Farmer’s Dog has now been resolved with the introduction of Alkemy, which creates a locally grown rum.

After several years of rum production overseas, brothers Will and Rob Tapster founded the distillery in Suffolk in 2021, with the aim of producing a unique new take on the classic spirit.

Alkemy uses molasses from locally grown sugar beet, rather than imported sugar cane, to make their rum.

This results in a truly British spirit, as co-founder Rob Tapster describes: “Alkemy is made in the same way as rum, but by using sugar beet, we end up with a different flavour profile.

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Alkemy. (Image: Alkemy)

“This means that the spirit has less of the more challenging flavours that you would associate with rum, and as a result, doesn’t have to have all the sugar added to make it drinkable.

“This makes the spirit more approachable, whilst keeping hold of the enjoyable part of rum.”

He added: “We think that what Jeremy and the team at the Farmer’s Dog are doing is really important.

“It has made people ask a lot more questions about where some of their food actually comes from and how it is grown.

“There are a lot of positive things about agriculture in the UK, and I think we all agree that it could do with all the help that it can get.”