The Farmer's Dog

Asthall Barrow, nr Burford

Clarkson's pub, and it's good fun

Yes, it's that Clarkson, and whatever you make of the man, the pub is a genuinely enjoyable day out. The Farmer's Dog opened in August 2024 beside the Asthall Barrow roundabout on the A40, a mile or so east of Burford, and it has been busy ever since. The whole place is built around one stubborn idea: everything on the menu is British. No imported ingredients, full stop. That means the beef, the beer and even the oil in the kitchen come from these islands, and a lot of it from Clarkson's own patch. It sounds like a gimmick and turns out to be the point. We go for the low-fuss British cooking, the Hawkstone lager and cider brewed just up the road, and the sheer novelty of watching a working farm-to-plate operation run at full tilt.

It sits about 25 minutes from the cottage, an easy run down towards Burford through the Windrush valley, which is worth a slow drive in either direction. What we've learned is that the day works far better if you plan around the crowds rather than fight them. The site is bigger than you expect, with a proper restaurant, a walk-in bar and kitchen under a huge tent, a butcher's counter, and a farm shop stocked with the produce you'll have seen on the telly. Give yourself an hour or two and treat it as an outing, not just a meal.

How the site is laid out

There are effectively two ways to eat here, and knowing the difference saves a lot of standing around.

• The restaurantThe sit-down dining room takes bookings and fills up fast, so reserve well ahead if a proper lunch or dinner is the plan, especially for weekend tables.
• The walk-in bar and kitchenThe tent bar and outdoor kitchen work on a walk-in basis with plenty of picnic-table seating, which is how we usually do it with the family in tow.
• The farm shop and butcherWorth a browse even if you're not eating, for the jars, the merch and something to take home for the cottage kitchen.
• ParkingThere's a big car park, though at peak times general visitors are directed to the overflow across the road while the main car park is kept for Blue Badge holders.

When to go, and when not to

This is the single thing worth getting right. The pub is genuinely popular, and after a new series of the show lands the queues can stretch to a couple of hours. Weekends and sunny afternoons are the busiest windows. If you can, aim for a weekday and arrive early; there is rarely much of a wait before late morning, and the whole experience is calmer with a table easier to come by. Bring cash for parking just in case, keep an eye on the official site for opening times before you set off, and don't plan anything tight afterwards, as it's the kind of place that eats an afternoon.

Make a day of it

The pub pairs nicely with the rest of this corner of the Cotswolds. Clarkson's original Diddly Squat Farm Shop is a separate spot over towards Chadlington and makes an obvious double-header for fans. For a quieter, more traditional pub afterwards, The Swan Inn at Swinbrook is a short hop up the Windrush, and The Lamb on Burford's high street is a classic Cotswold inn. Our full guide to eating and drinking in the area covers village pubs, farm shops and everything in between.

“Go with low expectations and you'll leave impressed. Do it on a weekday, hit the walk-in bar rather than queuing for the restaurant, and Hawkstone is dangerously drinkable.”

Visit the official site →

Also nearby

• Diddly Squat Farm Shop · Farm shop · Chadlington
• The Swan Inn · Pub · Swinbrook
• The Lamb · Pub · Burford