Jeremy Clarkson has conceded that he might have slipped up during the launch of his Cotswolds pub.
The ex-Top Gear presenter, who currently runs The Farmer's Dog pub in Oxfordshire, saw it debut in August last year. The public house is showcased in the successful series Clarkson's Farm, which has recently wrapped up its fourth season on Prime Video.
In the concluding episodes of this season, Jeremy enlisted the expertise of pub consultants Sue and Rachel Hawkins to prepare the pub for its kick-off.
He tasked the aunt-niece team with getting the place ready ahead of the August bank holiday, a timeline they reckoned was "not ideal."
The duo passed some judgement on Jeremy's tavern and suggested that the TV personality fork out £40,000 for an array of outdoor patio umbrellas. Needless to say, the suggestion didn't sit well with the TV star, whose budget for the pub opening stood at £25,000.
However, he's now recognised the wisdom in their advice regarding the costly umbrellas and decided to bite the bullet, having them installed at the property.
Taking it to Instagram earlier this week, Jeremy uploaded an image of the establishment, captioning it: "Turns out Sue and Rachel had a point. @thefarmersdogpub did need big umbrellas after all," reports the Daily Star.
On her personal Instagram Stories, Rachel echoed the sentiment, posting: "AND BEHOLD... the EXACT 40K umbrellas that have been the topic of so much discussion. [crying-laughing emoji]."
Jeremy revealed that the duo had splurged £40,000 on a stretch tent, citing the reasons as "not blocking the view and providing a year-round weather solution with heating and lighting so 75 guests can dine comfortably on the terrace all year round". However, he sarcastically added: "(Just 10 months, 2 stretch tents and 30 sun brollies later... [crying-laughing face])."
He added that Rachel and Sue "brilliantly set the pub up," but things didn't exactly go to plan. The pair ended up quitting just 48 hours after the pub opening, and a bit of a tense meeting with the TV star.
The pair didn't exactly go down a storm with many Clarkson's Farm fans, who complained about them on social media. However, others have defended the duo and suggested Jeremy is responsible for the pub's problems.
Rachel had expressed concerns about the pub, saying: "This building is not really fit for purpose. There are too many issues for us to run a successful business from this site, with failing water, no toilets, no gas, leaking roofs, and struggling staff."
Sue said the pub staff were "exhausted" and working too much. She added, "Everyone is exhausted. Even when we say, 'Go for a break, 'there's no staffroom'.
"They're weeing in a porta-loo. It's not lovely conditions. They love you and they love working here because of that. They're excited about the British food, and everything this pub is, they want to get behind it... But they're working 14-hour days."
Jeremy went on to point out that Rachel and Sue left the pub shortly after and, in the process, had a bit of a stand-off with him at a tense meeting.
The former Top Gear star countered the criticism, ensuring, "I have no problem with the staff. Not one single problem with the staff. They're all brilliant. They are smiling. They are nice."
This statement came despite the fact that two waitresses and a pot washer had quit their positions the previous summer.
Clarkson's Farm is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
