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James May Says His Royal Oak Pub Is Profitable and Won’t Serve Clarkson’s Hawkstone

He says the purchase was to keep a village pub from redevelopment, not to promote a personal drinks label.

Overview

  • Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show, May said The Royal Oak can now “wipe its own face,” describing slim margins but a viable business.
  • He confirmed the Wiltshire pub prioritises local produce and does not stock Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone, though it does offer his own James Gin.
  • May said he bought the Swallowcliffe pub in 2022 to preserve it as a community venue after a threat of redevelopment, and it initially shut due to COVID.
  • Clarkson reopened The Windmill in Asthall as The Farmer’s Dog in August 2024 and features his Hawkstone brand there.
  • In an earlier ITV interview, May said he was “apparently” banned from Clarkson’s pub, added he would not travel 75 miles to visit, and claimed his own pub is better.