Since parting ways with The Grand Tour, James May has joined Jeremy Clarkson in the pub business, each establishing their own unique venue. Clarkson, 65, owns The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall, Oxfordshire, which he opened in 2024. Meanwhile, May, turning 63 today, launched The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, back in 2021.
Their pubs have developed a lighthearted rivalry, fueled by their famous backgrounds and neighboring locations. In a recent interview, May was quick to praise The Royal Oak as the ultimate refuge in a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. Speaking to The Guardian, he said, “Oh, mine. It’s in Wiltshire. We’re heavily armed down here. People queue up at Clarkson’s. There’s queueing protocol going on, which I don’t like.”
May went on to criticize the queuing culture at Jeremy’s pub, emphasizing the traditional pub bar setup. “The whole point of the bar in a pub is that it’s wide and shallow. It’s not a hatch. Why would you queue at it? Good bar people know the order in which to serve.”
This banter is far from new. Last year, Clarkson reportedly banned May from The Farmer’s Dog, a move James likened to being “banned from a golf club” during an appearance on Lorraine. May shrugged off the ban, saying, “I wasn’t going to go anyway. I’ve got my own pub which is just around the corner; I’m not going to go 75 miles to his. Especially as mine’s better.”
Despite the teasing, their rivalry remains cordial. Clarkson acknowledges their longstanding friendship, telling The Mirror, “We’ve spent more time in each other’s company than our families’ over the last 25 years, so I don’t think it would have lasted as long as it did if we’d hated each other as much as James likes to think.”
Beyond their cheeky competition, both have faced the harsh realities of running pubs in the UK. On LBC earlier this year, James spoke candidly to Nick Ferrari about the slim profit margins and unexpected costs involved. “One bit of old 18th-century thatch falling off, or in our case, having to resurface the gravelly car park, can be enough to push you over the edge,” he revealed.
May stressed that while pubs hold cultural significance, they must primarily be inviting places to visit. “We do have to stop thinking of pubs as an important part of our heritage or a vital tradition, an institution, or an essential part of being British, or any of that misty-eyed stuff. They have to work as pubs—they have to be nice places to go,” he concluded.
Their playful pub rivalry may entertain fans, but both James May and Jeremy Clarkson clearly take the pub business seriously, striving to create warm, enjoyable environments amid a challenging industry climate.