Jeremy Clarkson, the 65-year-old TV star known for BBC’s Top Gear, faces ongoing challenges with a basic household skill despite his success in farming. After acquiring a 1,000-acre estate in Oxfordshire—once called Curdle Hill Farm, now thriving as Diddly Squat Farm—he documents his agricultural ventures in the Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm.
Cooking Challenges at Diddly Squat
Clarkson admits he lacks cooking prowess, even with prime ingredients available right at his doorstep. He recently taught himself the basics and attempted a béchamel sauce. His first try succeeded surprisingly well, but the second batch resembled “an amputated testicle.” Initially blaming the farm’s Aga cooker, he later acknowledged the issue might stem from his own limitations.
Jeremy Clarkson shared: “Could it be that some people simply can’t cook? I know I can’t do DIY or gardening, and I’d have no clue how to mend an engine, so maybe the dark art of making food hot is just another one of those things that’s beyond me.”
Testing Skills in a Professional Kitchen
To experiment further, Clarkson bought a rib of beef from his local butcher and headed to The Farmer’s Dog pub, which he opened in 2024. There, he used a £20,000 Rational oven. The result was perfect, prompting a joke that all he needed was a “foolproof oven.”
Building confidence, he prepared pho with star anise, bruschetta, and pork with black pepper. Chinese cuisine remains elusive, however. Clarkson explained: “But I do struggle whenever I try to make something Chinese. I watch the recipes on TikTok and buy high-quality oyster and soy sauces. I even have an expensive wok, but whenever I try to stir-fry slivers of beef, they always come out of the pan looking like burnt matches.”
He humorously noted difficulty finding lessons in the Cotswolds, calling the area “famously racist.”
Positive Update for The Farmer’s Dog
Clarkson recently gained approval for an overflow car park on a neighboring field. West Oxfordshire District Council granted temporary permission. Historic England praised his engagement, stating: “Having previously engaged in discussions about the car park and the barrow, we are pleased to see that an application has now been submitted. This is a positive step in finalising discussions around parking for the pub.”
