Jeremy Clarkson continues to be ever-present in the headlines - and the second series of Clarkson's Farm on Amazon Prime has put the focus on his rather surprising second career once again.
When his Diddly Squat Farm Shop - supplied by produce from the farm - reopened last month, and thousands of people flocked there. That included the Mirror's Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz.
The TV show has prompted people from all over the country to head to the shop in the Cotswolds. It sells items produced at the farm itself alongside items from nearby. But farm shops in general often charge a premium for their top-end products. And it's estimated that the prices at Clarkson's place are 200% more expensive than the nearest supermarket, Aldi, according to the Evesham Journal.
So Ariane went along to see for herself, with the aim to pick up the items needed for a good old fry-up.
Here's how she got on:
I wondered if the expensive price tag was reflected in the taste of the products, so I decided to travel to his Cotswolds farm to buy the items I needed for a fry-up breakfast. I joined the back of the queue at 10.30am on a Thursday morning and it took an hour to get to the front.
Finally inside, I picked up some bacon, sausages, eggs and a loaf of bread and, before I paid, I had no idea what the total would be because some of the costs weren't displayed. I could only see the price of the bacon and sausage on the shelf, so I had to ask about the bread and eggs.
It was surprising that the shop didn't have its prices clearly listed and it is something to consider if you're planning a visit. After finally figuring out what each item would set me back, I paid a total of £17.25.
Here is the price breakdown:
- Unsmoked back bacon - £4.30
- Jeremy's Hawkstone Lager Pork Sausages - £3.80
- Diddly Squat Farm Shop Eggs - £3.20
- Sourdough Revolution large loaf – £5.95
According to research company Kantar, picking up all the supplies for a fried breakfast costs on average £6.83. This means picking up the items from the Farm Shop cost 152% more than at a supermarket - and that's without the baked beans.
Back at home, it was time to get cooking and test out the products themselves. It's worth noting that this isn't your average supermarket run for necessities and many people don't mind paying extra if it's reflected in the quality of the produce.
With that said, a full fry-up normally includes other items like tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans, but these are the only goods I could find in the shop. While cooking the sausages, I realised that not as much fat and water came out as usual, which is a good sign in my book as it suggests the meat is of good quality.
I then completed my breakfast plate by adding a fried egg and toasted sourdough – and it was finally time to taste. After tucking into all the produce, there was no doubt one winner that stood out from the rest – the eggs.
They were deliciously rich and creamy, and although significantly tiny, I don't think they are comparable in terms of price to regular free range eggs in supermarkets. Costing £3.20, they are a lot more expensive than a six-pack of medium free range eggs at Aldi (£1.29), but you can taste a big difference.
Cacklebean eggs come from a rare breed of Arlington chickens and have a vivid orange yolk. You can definitely pick them up cheaper elsewhere, but you probably won't find them in your local, big chain supermarket.
In terms of bacon, which cost £4.30 for six slices, I would have expected a bit more meat for the price. In Aldi you can pick up 10 slices of unsmoked back bacon for £1.75.
While there's no doubting the flavour, there was quite a bit of fat on the side that I cut off while eating, so I felt like quite a lot of the product was wasted. The sausages are definitely different to ones you can pick up in the shop, because they are flavoured with Clarkson's own Hawkstone lager, which has a growing fanbase.
While this might be to some people's taste, personally I don't think it added a particularly strong or enjoyable flavour to go together with a fry-up. With a £3.80 price tag for six sausages, I would expect them to be bursting with flavour. That being said, they might be better for use in a sandwich with some ketchup or brown sauce because. I could tell they were good quality – and they were very filling.
The most expensive item was the sourdough loaf, which you could normally get for under £2 at a local supermarket. The large loaf is made a bakery in Lechlade, a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds. It tasted great, but I personally think that's too much to pay for a loaf of bread.
In terms of the whole meal, one of the things I noticed was how filling it all is. I couldn't finish it all, and I didn't eat lunch that day. There's no doubt that you're paying for the quality of the locally grown food that fills you up, and it's also great to support hard-working farmers.
However, this isn't something that most people could afford to buy regularly – particularly not now, during the cost of living crisis. Also, with the queue to the farm shop more than tripling within the hour it took me to get to the front, I don't think it's feasible for a regular visit.
However, if I was nearby and there was no queue, I would definitely return to buy some of those delicious eggs – they were undoubtedly the star of the show.
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