JEREMY Clarkson has always revelled in explosive comments. Now he has turned his attention to explosive cider.
The TV star-turned-farmer-turned brewer has warned shoppers that his company has made a ‘massive cock-up’ and some of his bottles of booze might blow up.
Clarkson began selling cider and beer under his brand Hawkstone in 2021 using ingredients grown at his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat farm in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
He has owned the land since 2008 but only started farming in 2021, with his efforts documented in his Amazon Prime show.
The former Top Gear host, 63, wrote on Twitter: “There’s been a massive cock-up and as a result, there’s a very slim chance some of our Hawkstone CIDER bottles might, there’s no easy way of saying this, explode.
“If the cap has the code L3160, open it underwater, pour it away and get in touch for a refund.
“Really sorry about this but on the upside, the beer is fine and still delicious. As is the cider, in bottles that are unaffected. Which is almost all of them.”
The affected bottles are said to have suffered over-fermentation, leading to a build up of gases and a precautionary ‘do not drink’ advisory by the Food Standards Agency.
When Clarkson started to brew beer he reportedly wanted to call it ‘Lager McLagerface’, but this was vetoed by his advertising agency for not conveying a premium brand.
Clarkson’s farming exploits have been showcased in his docuseries Clarkson’s Farm but his agricultural adventure hasn’t always been well received by the locals. The council has been flooded with complaints by people who say the motoring journalist is attracting hordes of petrolheads to their quiet village.
According to Chadlington residents, the so-called ‘tourist attraction’ has had a detrimental impact on the village, causing significant disruptions to the local traffic flow and resulting in constant backlogs of vehicles and an incessant noise of engines.
In addition to the traffic concerns, some locals are sick of the extensive queues, lasting up to three hours, to gain entry to the attraction. Despite the long wait, many are dissatisfied with what awaits them inside, describing the goods for sale as overpriced and primarily limited to merchandise.
West Oxfordshire District Council initially refused to grant Clarkson permission for him to extend his shop’s car park although this was finally granted this year.
