Jeremy Clarkson unveils new anti-theft measure at Cotswolds pub after bemoaning ‘extraordinary’ losses from thieving punters
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub The Farmer’s Dog near Burford in Oxfordshire has taken a new step to try and curb the bouts of theft that have taken place at the establishment.
After opening the doors to his Cotswolds pubs at the end of August, Clarkson and his team in Asthall have welcomed thousands of punters keen to try out the British-farmed dishes on offer.
The pub also only serves Clarkson’s own beer brand Hawkstone alongside the British food.
However, despite there being a Diddly Squat farm shop on the site in the neighbouring marquee that sells Hawkstone-branded merchandise, some punters have decided to pocket a keepsake after ordering a pint of Clarkson’s lager.
Clarkson complained about the cost of such incidents of glass theft in his latest newspaper column in which he reflected on his first four months as a publican.
“The theft is extraordinary,” Clarkson penned in the Sunday Times. “People seem to have it in their heads that if they come in for a pint they are entitled to go home with the glass in which it was served.
“Last Sunday 104 went missing. And that cost must be added to the £100 a day we spend on fuel for the generator, the £400 a week it costs to provide warmth on the terrace and the £27,000 a month we must spend on parking and traffic marshals to keep the council off our back.
“And that’s before you get to the cost of employing people in Starmer’s Britain these days.”
Clarkson went on to describe the efforts that go into running the pub to see such little monetary return as “galling”, claiming: “The customers are coming. There’s no problem there. But turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible.”
The issue has been made all the worse by the fact that some of the glasses pinched from The Farmer’s Dog have made their way onto online marketplaces and auction sites.
But now, Clarkson and his Farmer’s Dog team have decided to roll out new emblazoned beer mats to try and deter punters from taking their glasses home with them.
On the beer mats, a photo of Clarkson holding a pair of binoculars is printed alongside the words: “Jeremy is watching. Don’t steal his pint glasses.”
The Farmer’s Dog’s Instagram page unveiled the new measure on New Year’s Day, writing in a post alongside an image of the mat: “Feel free to take our new beer mats…
“But please don’t steal our Hawkstone pint glasses! Happy New Year.. #backbritishfarmingdrinkhawkstone.”
Before long, fans replied with their suggestions on how Clarkson could go further to stop the thefts, with some claiming the beer mats will do little to solve the problem.
“I always feel that if you bring attention to a problem, you make the problem worse,” one Instagram user penned. “Maybe a poster / info in the pub rather than socials would be a better tact. Some may see it as a challenge now.”
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A second weighed in: “If people can’t be respectful then just use plastic ones that are reusable or get a big bouncer on the door to search in the way out.”
“Just switch to using plain glasses. Your customers know that they’re drinking Hawkstone!” a third said before a fourth added: “I used to work for a popular cider brand where glasses got stolen – cost to the business was rediculous so we introduced a ‘glass deposit’ on purchase. Refunded on return. Few moans and groans but most people got it- it worked for us.” (sic)
Clarkson will have to watch this space to see if his deterrent has an impact but in the meantime, he’s had to deal with complaints of a different sort after unveiling the new menu at the pub.
On the menu, The Farmer’s Dog confirmed it was a cashless venue – a decision that has put off some prospective punters from trying out the pub.