The former BBC Top Gear presenter turned farmer made the comments while appearing at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on Monday (October 5).
He also warned that farmers are being “attacked” from all directions by rising costs, taxes and global instability.
The Farmer’s Dog pub in Oxfordshire. (Image: The Farmer’s Dog)
Mr Clarkson, who has owned The Farmer’s Dog near his Diddly Squat Farm in in Oxfordshire since August 2024 after purchasing the former Windmill pub, said he is actively exploring another pub venture.
The news follows recent fan speculation on X that Mr Clarkson might open a pub in Symonds Yat East, a village in the Wye Valley, which currently up for sale.
However, despite previously teasing plans for a second venue, he suggested it is unlikely to be in the UK.
Speaking on stage alongside his Amazon Prime Video co-star and land agent Charlie Ireland, he said: “I am actually looking, as we speak, quite hard into the possibility of opening another pub.
“It’s not going to be in the UK. Why would anybody set up a business in this country right now?”
He was speaking during a discussion led by the Conservatives’ shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins, where much of the conversation focused on the pressures facing British farmers and rural businesses.
Reflecting on the past year, the television star described it as “terrible” for farming, blaming poor harvests and wider economic challenges.
He said: “We worked really hard all year and we ended up with, I think I’m right in saying, three ounces of hen food.
“It was an absolute disaster on the farming side but, luckily, we’ve got other projects going on now. But the farming is very, very difficult at the moment.”
Jeremy Clarkson on stage during the Conservative Party conference at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham on Monday, October 5 (Image: PA)
Clarkson added that many farmers do not have the luxury of alternative income streams.
“I’m very fortunate that I do have other income streams and newspaper columns, but if you’re an ordinary farmer, it’s not just the weather,” he said.
“The attacks come from everywhere – whether it’s Iran or Ukraine or taxes or energy costs – whatever it might be, it’s just relentless.”
The broadcaster has been one of the most high-profile critics of Labour’s proposed inheritance tax changes for family farms and has repeatedly used his platform to campaign on behalf of the agricultural sector.
Despite his concerns about the current state of farming, Clarkson told the audience he remained optimistic about the long-term future of the industry.
He also joked about the atmosphere inside the conference hall, quipping that “a lot of people have come dressed as seats” after noticing empty places in the audience.
For fans hoping to see another Clarkson-run pub open in Britain, however, the TV personality’s latest remarks suggest any future venue could be much further afield.
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