Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Brewery has been crowned the fastest-growing company in the West Country, earning the top spot in the Sunday Times 100 ranking shortly after his farmers' choir triumphed on Britain’s Got Talent.
Based in Gloucestershire and predominantly owned by the celebrity turned farmer, Hawkstone Brewery reported an impressive £44.9 million in sales for the year ending March, boasting an average annual growth rate of 128.19% over the past three years. The Sunday Times 100 highlights Britain’s leading entrepreneurial businesses and the innovative people behind them.
Clarkson, who launched the Hawkstone brand in 2021 alongside business partner Johnny Hornby, admitted, “I know even less about brewing than I do about farming. But there are plenty of competent people who do, and mercifully, some of them work here.” The brewery, headed by managing director Owen Jenkins, exports beer to 10 European countries and supplies over 2,000 UK retail outlets and 4,000 pubs, including Clarkson’s own Cotswolds venue, the Farmer’s Dog.
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Following Hawkstone on the list is Somerset’s Sweet Bee Organics, a skincare brand founded by Hollie King in 2018 that achieved sales of £23 million last year, with 118.6% growth over three years. Cornwall’s St Ewe Free Range Eggs placed third regionally, reporting £77.1 million in sales and 88% growth over the same period. The company was also recognized as one of the best places to work in the West of England by the Sunday Times.
Jon Yeomans, business editor of The Sunday Times, remarked, “Celebrating five years of The Sunday Times 100 reveals the incredible diversity of British businesses. The biggest trend is the rise of consumer brands, with food, drink, fashion, and beauty companies now representing nearly half the list.”
Adding to the excitement, the Hawkstone Farmers' Choir, founded by Clarkson to support farmers' mental health, made history as the first choir to win Britain’s Got Talent 2026.
This announcement coincides with the return of Clarkson’s Farm for its fifth season, giving fans more insight into his ventures and life on the farm.