Clarkson's Farm pub consultant who 'quit' issues statement to Jeremy after fallout
12 June 2025, 08:33 | Updated: 12 June 2025, 08:38
Rachel Hawkins, who helped Jeremy Clarkson open his pub The Farmer's Dog alongside her aunt Sue, has broken her silence following backlash from viewers.
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Jeremy Clarkson has come full circle on one of The Farmer's Dog's most controversial decisions - publicly conceding that two pub consultants he once criticised were right about a £40,000 investment.
In a post shared to Instagram, the broadcaster posted a photo of the now-installed jumbrellas at his pub, writing in the caption: "Turns out Sue and Rachel had a point."
The Rachel and Sue in question are Rachel Hawkins and her aunt, Sue, a duo brought in during the latest season of Clarkson's Farm to help open the pub. Their time on the project, however, was short-lived as, after just 48 hours, they sensationally quit.
Now, pub consultant Rachel has broken her silence on the whole saga, resharing Jeremy's photo on her own Instagram with the caption: "AND BEHOLD. The EXACT 40k umbrellas that have been the topic of so much discussion. Not blocking the view & providing a year-round weather solution with heating & lighting in order that 75 guests can dine comfortably on the terrace all year round… seems like 40k well spent?"
She added: "Just 10 months, 2 stretch tents & 30 sun brollies later."
In the show, the pair had first pitched the idea of the jumbrellas as a crucial addition to the terrace dining area: "First on our list, covering the deck with some jumbrellas," they told Jeremy in one scene: "Three enormous umbrellas to cover the entire deck, approximately £40,000."
Clarkson's reaction was predictably explosive: "Sorry, you're saying words... £40,000 for three umbrellas. £40,000 for three umbrellas! I'm well aware we need umbrellas, I know that, but I really genuinely believe that's nuts."
He went on: "How have I come around to this point? I just cannot believe I'm 64 and someone has just said to me the price of the umbrellas is £40,000. You can buy a Golf GTI for that."
Instead, the Grand Tour presenter opted for a canopy, which he later described as an "expensive mistake."
Despite that, the fallout between Jeremy and the pair wasn't just about umbrellas. Behind the scenes, tensions mounted over structural issues with the pub itself.
"This building is not really fit for purpose," Rachel told him during their last meeting: "There are too many issues for us to run a successful business from this site, with failing water, no toilets, no gas, leaking roofs, and struggling staff."
Sue echoed those concerns, particularly over staff welfare: "Even when we say, 'Go for a break,' there's no staffroom. They're weeing in a porta-loo. They love you and they love working here because of that... But they're working 14-hour days."
Jeremy snapped back: "Do you want me to find a new manager or go back into the kitchen? Or do you want me to get the leak mended? Or do you want me to deal with the car parking issues? Or do you want me to deal with the neighbours? Do you want me to deal with the council?"
Following their departure, Clarkson tried to steady the ship: "Sue and Rachel, who brilliantly set up the pub, have now left," he said in the Sunday morning update: "And I've managed to get a new front-of-house person, who is the head of the sixth form at the local village school. So that’s good."
While Jeremy appears to have put his issues with Rachel and Sue behind him, fans aren't entirely forgiving - some have criticised Rachel and Sue for "abandoning the project" so quickly.
"I loved it most when after they had spent a fortune and then near completion decided the place wasn't fit for purpose," one viewer wrote, while another commented: "They blamed you for a pub they could not manage despite the fact they were responsible for setting it up, then jumped ship."
