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North Wales Live
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
My experience eating at Jeremy Clarkson's pub and it's clear it's not like others
Steffan Rhys - ReachPLC's Deputy Content Hub Director - recently paid a visit to Jeremey Clarkson's pub - The Farmer's Dog - to experience what it had to offer. Here's what Steffan found during his time at the pub, which is clearly not like others... I didn't expect to love Clarkson's Farm as much as I do, despite being the perfect target audience: white, forty-something bloke. But the Amazon Prime Video series is a joy. And, late to the party, I'm now working my through the series at a rate of around one a day, currently closing in on the end of the third of four series, reports WalesOnline. There's a lot to love about it. It's funny, sad (I've just watched the piglets episode - if you know, you know), entertaining and informative but I think what I love the most is how passionate the show's biggest star is about farming and all its highs and lows. A large part of the four series released so far follows Clarkson's attempts to open a restaurant on Diddly Squat Farm where he can sell the meat he rears and veg he grows, as well as that of his surrounding farms. But the council and some of his neighbours are having none of it, so Clarkson has to give up on that ambition and "thought instead of building a restaurant we would buy a pub". The result is The Farmer's Dog about 10 miles south of the farm on the side of the A40 as it winds through the Oxfordshire countryside. It's about a 90-minute drive from Cardiff and eastern Wales, a pretty easy drive up the M4 and M5 motorways. One thing that really seemed to annoy council officials and some neighbours of Clarkson's original farm shop was the huge number of people visiting, clogging up the surrounding roads and parking on grass verges. So I was expecting it to be busy. But I wasn't expecting this. It was bigger than the Eisteddfod. There was a full-blown security and parking operation guiding arrivals into an enormous adjacent field with hundreds, if not thousands, of cars already parked in it. Visitors streamed like ants in formation between car park and pub and the stunned "bloody hell!" I heard from a fellow visitor pretty much sums up what I was thinking too. I'd naively thought that, given I had a lunch reservation (secured easily, several weeks earlier, on the pub website) it would be a quiet affair. After all, only so many people can fit in a pub, right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong. The first signs that we were not just out at your average local pub for Sunday lunch came a few hundred yards from our destination when the queues of cars and motorbikes started. Stewards in high-vis jackets directed us to a nearby field where, despite the numbers, we got a parking space easily (the queues on the road were short-lived too, to be fair, and I didn't even come close to losing my temper). Once parked, it was a short walk across the road to the pub, which surely has to be the most popular in the country. There were people everywhere. Dozens of people waited in line to get into the pub (you don't need to queue if you have a reservation and I was impressed that there was a staff member dedicated to finding those of us who did and ushering us to the front). Presumably, those queuing without a reservation were doing so in the hope of nabbing a table, a pint or a quick photo opp. We were an hour early for lunch so wandered around the back of the pub to explore the large shop, outdoor bar and huge beer garden. There were thousands of people here, sitting in glorious sunshine on wooden benches or on the grass, enjoying a pint of Clarkson's own Hawkstone beer and the gorgeous views out over the Cotswolds farmland that the man himself is so taken with. The shop sells the beer (lager, stout, IPA and cider) in crates and gift packs, as well as jams, marmalades, honey, candles, branded clothes and there's a butcher too. I came away with a crate of lager (£28 for 12 bottles) and a £12 jar of honey made from the bees on Diddly Squat Farm. Sunday lunch in The Farmer's Dog - is it worth it? A few minutes before our 1pm lunch reservation, we headed back to the pub entrance and were quickly directed to head inside and look for a man called John ("he looks like me but he's bald and he loves Welsh people"). Bald man located easily enough, he showed us to our table, possibly the best in the pub, tucked away on its own in a little corner right by the glass doors that opened out on to the large outside terrace. So not only did we have a view of the whole of the inside, we got the breeze and the sunlight of the outdoors too. It couldn't have been better. Much like Clarkson does on his popular Amazon Prime show (I was now starting to realise just how big it is), the pub is very keen to show off its credentials as a supporter of local farms. A blackboard on the wall names local farmers Vanessa Hartley and Nick Sinden, as well as Rectory Farm, as sources. We ordered a pint of the Hawkstone Black stout (£7) and a half of Hawkstone lager (£3.50). They're great drinks and we sat and waited for our food by watching staff move purposefully through the busy pub, carrying plates loaded up with generous and delicious-looking Sunday roasts and stepping over the odd dog lying at their owners' feet. There was a pianist playing a grand piano by the front door, a permanent queue at the bar for a pint and a feelgood buzz running through the whole place - everyone just seemed thrilled to be here, me included. My starter of cold-smoked Bibury trout (£11.50) was fantastic - generous, thickly-sliced trout packed with flavour and possibly better than any smoked salmon I've ever had. I'd been to the Bibury trout farm a short drive away two days earlier, which made it all taste even better somehow, as did the accompanying horseradish cream and watercress salad. I went for the two-meat main course with beef and pork (£26), which were the only two meat options. It came with roasted whole potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, spring greens, red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding and gravy made from the stout. It's hard to distinguish one well-made Sunday roast from another so I won't try too hard. This one was generous, tasty and largely faultless (I could probably have done with a drop more of the delicious gravy). You could stick with one meat for £2 less and there was a vegetarian option of Wye Valley asparagus with pea pearl barley and a poached egg. Vegans didn't seem to be catered for, which may or may not be on purpose. We were too full for pudding but we did see an Eton mess (£10.50) and poached rhubarb crumble cake with Cotswolds ice cream (£10.50) being carried past. Both looked great. We were pretty much done with our food within the hour and the bill for two main courses, one starter and two drinks came to £80 (including service). Before leaving, I just wanted to soak in a bit more of the venue so took a look upstairs (also full, of course) and spotted the full-size tractor hanging from the ceiling above the pianist, which I'd somehow managed to miss on the way in. Final thoughts Jeremy Clarkson and Amazon Prime have created a phenomenon. But don't let that put you off. The queue for the car park was no more than a few minutes at most and that was the only waiting we did. Thanks to our reservation, we were straight in through the front door and we didn't need to queue at the shop for our beer and honey either. My over-riding impression of the huge crowd was how happy we all were to be there. If you wanted a beer (inside or outside) or something from the butcher, you should probably expect a queue, but that's pretty much it. I felt a bit guilty about being one of the hordes of people taking over what was presumably a quiet and anonymous part of Oxfordshire 12 months ago, but reports suggest most people in the area are happy to have the pub so consider me guilt-free now. I'm glad I went and will remember it for a long time. Pubs aren't only about food, they're about how they make you feel. And I loved every second of this trip. If it had been hammering down with rain, I might feel differently - but being from Wales, I should probably be used to that.
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
I ate at Jeremy Clarkson's pub 90 minutes from Wales — two words sum up the whole experience
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info I didn't expect to love Clarkson's Farm as much as I do, despite being the perfect target audience: white, forty-something bloke. But the Amazon Prime Video series is a joy. And, late to the party, I'm now working my through the series at a rate of around one a day, currently closing in on the end of the third of four series. There's a lot to love about it. It's funny, sad (I've just watched the piglets episode - if you know, you know), entertaining and informative but I think what I love the most is how passionate the show's biggest star is about farming and all its highs and lows. A large part of the four series released so far follows Clarkson's attempts to open a restuarant on Diddly Squat Farm where he can sell the meat he rears and veg he grows, as well as that of his surrounding farms. But the council and some of his neighbours are having none of it, so Clarkson has to give up on that ambition and "thought instead of building a restaurant we would buy a pub". The result is The Farmer's Dog about 10 miles south of the farm on the side of the A40 as it winds through the Oxfordshire countryside. It's about a 90-minute drive from Cardiff and eastern Wales, a pretty easy drive up the M4 and M5 motorways. One thing that really seemed to annoy council officials and some neighbours of Clarkson's original farm shop was the huge number of people visiting, clogging up the surrounding roads and parking on grass verges. So I was expecting it to be busy. But I wasn't expecting this. It was bigger than the Eisteddfod. There was a full-blown security and parking operation guiding arrivals into an enormous adjacent field with hundreds, if not thousands, of cars already parked in it. Visitors streamed like ants in formation between car park and pub and the stunned "bloody hell!" I heard from a fellow visitor pretty much sums up what I was thinking too. I'd naiively thought that, given I had a lunch reservation (secured easily, several weeks earlier, on the pub website) it would be a quiet affair. After all, only so many people can fit in a pub, right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong. The first signs that we were not just out at your average local pub for Sunday lunch came a few hundred yards from our destination when the queues of cars and motorbikes started. Stewards in high-vis jackets directed us to a nearby field where, despite the numbers, we got a parking space easily (the queues on the road were short-lived too, to be fair, and I didn't even come close to losing my temper). Once parked, it was a short walk across the road to the pub, which surely has to be the most popular in the country. (Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS) There were people everywhere. Dozens of people waited in line to get into the pub (you don't need to queue if you have a reservation and I was impressed that there was a staff member dedicated to finding those of us who did and ushering us to the front). Presumably, those queuing without a reservation were doing so in the hope of nabbing a table, a pint or a quick photo opp. We were an hour early for lunch so wandered around the back of the pub to explore the large shop, outdoor bar and huge beer garden. There were thousands of people here, sitting in glorious sunshine on wooden benches or on the grass, enjoying a pint of Clarkson's own Hawkstone beer and the gorgeous views out over the Cotswolds farmland that the man himself is so taken with. The shop sells the beer (lager, stout, IPA and cider) in crates and gift packs, as well as jams, marmalades, honey, candles, branded clothes and there's a butcher too. I came away with a crate of lager (£28 for 12 bottles) and a £12 jar of honey made from the bees on Diddly Squat Farm. Sunday lunch in The Farmer's Dog — is it worth it? A few minutes before our 1pm lunch reservation, we headed back to the pub entrance and were quickly directed to head inside and look for a man called John ("he looks like me but he's bald and he loves Welsh people"). Bald man located easily enough, he showed us to our table, possibly the best in the pub, tucked away on its own in a little corner right by the glass doors that opened out on to the large outside terrace. So not only did we have a view of the whole of the inside, we got the breeze and the sunlight of the outdoors too. It couldn't have been better. (Image: PA) Much like Clarkson does on his popular Amazon Prime show (I was now starting to realise just how big it is), the pub is very keen to show off its credentials as a supporter of local farms. A blackboard on the wall names local farmers Vanessa Hartley and Nick Sinden, as well as Rectory Farm, as sources. We ordered a pint of the Hawkstone Black stout (£7) and a half of Hawkstone lager (£3.50). They're great drinks and we sat and waited for our food by watching staff move purposefully through the busy pub, carrying plates loaded up with generous and delicious-looking Sunday roasts and stepping over the odd dog lying at their owners' feet. There was a pianist playing a grand piano by the front door, a permanent queue at the bar for a pint and a feelgood buzz running through the whole place — everyone just seemed thrilled to be here, me included. My starter of cold-smoked Bibury trout (£11.50) was fantastic - generous, thickly-sliced trout packed with flavour and possibly better than any smoked salmon I've ever had. I'd been to the Bibury trout farm a short drive away two days earlier, which made it all taste even better somehow, as did the accompanying horseradish cream and watercress salad. I went for the two-meat main course with beef and pork (£26), which were the only two meat options. It came with roasted whole potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, spring greens, red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding and gravy made from the stout. It's hard to distinguish one well-made Sunday roast from another so I won't try too hard. This one was generous, tasty and largely faultless (I could probably have done with a drop more of the delicous gravy). You could stick with one meat for £2 less and there was a vegetarian option of Wye Valley asparagus with pea pearl barley and a poached egg. Vegans disn't seem to be catered for, which may or may not be on purpose. We were too full for pudding but we did see an Eton mess (£10.50) and poached rhubarb crumble cake with Cotswolds ice cream (£10.50) being carried past. Both looked great. We were pretty much done with our food within the hour and the bill for two main courses, one starter and two drinks came to £80 (including service). Before leaving, I just wanted to soak in a bit more of the venue so took a look upstairs (also full, of course) and spotted the full-size tractor hanging from the ceiling above the pianist, which I'd somehow managed to miss on the way in. Final thoughts Jeremy Clarkson and Amazon Prime have created a phenomenon. But don't let that put you off. The queue for the car park was no more than a few minutes at most and that was the only waiting we did. Thanks to our reservation, we were straight in through the front door and we didn't need to queue at the shop for our beer and honey either. My over-riding impression of the huge crowd was how happy we all were to be there. If you wanted a beer (inside or outside) or something from the butcher, you should probably expect a queue, but that's pretty much it. I felt a bit guilty about being one of the hordes of people taking over what was presumably a quiet and anonymous part of Oxfordshire 12 months ago, but reports suggest most people in the area are happy to have the pub so consider me guilt-free now. I'm glad I went and will remember it for a long time. Pubs aren't only about food, they're about how they make you feel. And I loved every second of this trip. If it had been hammering down with rain, I might feel differently — but being from Wales, I should probably be used to that.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Welsh playgroup in an estate 'with no speakers'
A woman who was embarrassed that she could not speak Welsh has sent her children to a playgroup to help them learn the language. Hannah Phillips' three daughters are all receiving their education through Welsh, with her youngest attending Welsh language playgroup Cylch Meithrin, on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr Tydfil. "I wanted them to speak our language because I feel I should be speaking Welsh," said Hannah. The group was set up by Myfanwy Harman in January 2023, where there was just one child, but the group has now grown to 27 children. Most lessons in English to be phased out in Welsh county Concerns some Welsh-language nurseries could close My town, where community spirit makes leaving hard Ms Phillips from Penydarren said she was from over the valley and there "are no Welsh speakers in our village". "I am a massive fan of the language and am slightly embarrassed I don't speak Welsh," she said. "We went to the Eisteddfod, the sports bit, a couple of weeks ago, it is such a beautiful language. It was lovely to hear, especially my girls speaking in Cymraeg [Welsh]." Myfanwy Harman said when she first set up the group it was "hard". "It was difficult to build up that relationship and trust, and show parents you don't need to be afraid of the language. "Now we have established that and shown that Welsh is for everyone." Ms Harman said the playgroup had helped changed attitudes towards the Welsh language. "When we first opened here we had a few occasions when people walked past and shouted over to us things like 'oh we don't speak Welsh here', but as time has gone on they see that they do, and they can." This term all the children from the Gurnos Cylch Meithrin have gone on to full-time Welsh-medium education, giving the playgroup cause to celebrate, said Ms Phillips. "Having the opportunity in areas like the Gurnos to introduce our language is fantastic and very much needed in Merthyr. "I think we get a little bit forgotten sometimes when it comes to the Welsh language and our culture. "The Gurnos gets massive press coverage for the wrong reasons a lot of the time and this is the stuff we don't see, which is the vital stuff." Louisa Jones who is from Cornwall, but now lives in Gurnos with both her children attending Cylch Meithrin, said: "My little girl and boy were born here and are Welsh, as someone who is Cornish, our language unfortunately died. "It is so important we don't lose Welsh." With her children both speaking Welsh, Ms Jones felt that she wanted to learn the language. "It is really inspirational, so much so that I am now learning Welsh and am volunteering here so that I can be in an environment where I can hear lots of Welsh." Learning Welsh has helped Ms Jones feel part of the Gurnos community. "I have always felt a bit of an outsider in this community, but a big thing for me is having a shared culture with my community and having some Welsh language means something. "I feel much more a part of my community by having this shared culture and heritage." It is not just parents that are learning Welsh on the estate, Ola Pala is a nursery assistant at Cylch Meithrin, having moved to Merthyr from Poland when she was seven. Working as a nursery assistant has helped her improve her Welsh. "Welsh is a hard language to learn and I am still learning, I learnt it when I was in school but I am learning more here because there is Welsh everywhere. "It really is important for me, because I want to help the children." Katie Phillips lives in Merthyr and is a former pupil at the Welsh primary school Ysgol Santes Tudful and went to Ysgol Rhydywaun, a Welsh-medium comprehensive school in the Cynon Valley. She now works for the Welsh language Society, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and said she felt attitudes towards the Welsh language were changing. "There's more of a demand for people learn Welsh and for their children to speak Welsh," she said. "I think people like my parents wish they could have had the opportunity when they were younger, but didn't so we have a bit of a lost generation." The growth of the Welsh language on the Gurnos estate is being welcomed locally. Lis Mclean, who runs Canolfan Soar which is home to a number of local Welsh language organisations, said: "I think the Welsh language is incredibly important to people in Merthyr. "When you watch someone learning Welsh you see them change, they have a certain pride in themselves." What help is there with childcare costs in Wales? Sign gaffe describes school as place with 'angry look' Parents won't be asked why they chose Welsh language
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Methryr Tydfil playgroup helps boost Welsh language in community
A woman who was embarrassed that she could not speak Welsh has sent her children to a playgroup to help them learn the Phillips' three daughters are all receiving their education through Welsh, with her youngest attending Welsh language playgroup Cylch Meithrin, on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr Tydfil."I wanted them to speak our language because I feel I should be speaking Welsh," said group was set up by Myfanwy Harman in January 2023, where there was just one child, but the group has now grown to 27 children. Ms Phillips from Penydarren said she was from over the valley and there "are no Welsh speakers in our village"."I am a massive fan of the language and am slightly embarrassed I don't speak Welsh," she said."We went to the Eisteddfod, the sports bit, a couple of weeks ago, it is such a beautiful language. It was lovely to hear, especially my girls speaking in Cymraeg [Welsh]." Myfanwy Harman said when she first set up the group it was "hard"."It was difficult to build up that relationship and trust, and show parents you don't need to be afraid of the language."Now we have established that and shown that Welsh is for everyone."Ms Harman said the playgroup had helped changed attitudes towards the Welsh language."When we first opened here we had a few occasions when people walked past and shouted over to us things like 'oh we don't speak Welsh here', but as time has gone on they see that they do, and they can."This term all the children from the Gurnos Cylch Meithrin have gone on to full-time Welsh-medium education, giving the playgroup cause to celebrate, said Ms Phillips."Having the opportunity in areas like the Gurnos to introduce our language is fantastic and very much needed in Merthyr."I think we get a little bit forgotten sometimes when it comes to the Welsh language and our culture."The Gurnos gets massive press coverage for the wrong reasons a lot of the time and this is the stuff we don't see, which is the vital stuff." Louisa Jones who is from Cornwall, but now lives in Gurnos with both her children attending Cylch Meithrin, said: "My little girl and boy were born here and are Welsh, as someone who is Cornish, our language unfortunately died. "It is so important we don't lose Welsh."With her children both speaking Welsh, Ms Jones felt that she wanted to learn the language."It is really inspirational, so much so that I am now learning Welsh and am volunteering here so that I can be in an environment where I can hear lots of Welsh."Learning Welsh has helped Ms Jones feel part of the Gurnos community."I have always felt a bit of an outsider in this community, but a big thing for me is having a shared culture with my community and having some Welsh language means something."I feel much more a part of my community by having this shared culture and heritage." It is not just parents that are learning Welsh on the estate, Ola Pala is a nursery assistant at Cylch Meithrin, having moved to Merthyr from Poland when she was as a nursery assistant has helped her improve her Welsh."Welsh is a hard language to learn and I am still learning, I learnt it when I was in school but I am learning more here because there is Welsh everywhere."It really is important for me, because I want to help the children." Katie Phillips lives in Merthyr and is a former pupil at the Welsh primary school Ysgol Santes Tudful and went to Ysgol Rhydywaun, a Welsh-medium comprehensive school in the Cynon now works for the Welsh language Society, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and said she felt attitudes towards the Welsh language were changing."There's more of a demand for people learn Welsh and for their children to speak Welsh," she said."I think people like my parents wish they could have had the opportunity when they were younger, but didn't so we have a bit of a lost generation."The growth of the Welsh language on the Gurnos estate is being welcomed Mclean, who runs Canolfan Soar which is home to a number of local Welsh language organisations, said: "I think the Welsh language is incredibly important to people in Merthyr."When you watch someone learning Welsh you see them change, they have a certain pride in themselves."
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
I went to Wales' biggest free Welsh-language festival and one thing really stood out
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info I moved to Wales four years ago, not knowing a word of Welsh. Now my Welsh is still very limited but when I first moved here, never did I imagine I would be attending Welsh language festivals. Welsh seemed a language I would never wrap my head around and certainly one I never thought I'd immerse myself in. I was also worried I wouldn't even be welcome at the festivals, being English and that being immediately identifiable as soon as I opened my mouth. How wrong I was. It turns out Welsh festivals are a bucket load of fun, get it, a reference to the famous Welsh bucket hats? And not something to be missed. Last year I attended three Welsh festivals, you can read about my first Eisteddfod here, and this year I returned to Tafwyl, ready to experience more. It is running in Cardiff's gorgeous Bute Park, the perfect setting for it, this weekend on Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15. There is so much to enjoy at Tawfyl, from the two music stages, endless food options, children's area, and more. As soon as you enter you are hit by the delicious smell of a range of street food and nearly overwhelmed with the Instagram opportunities, as two lovely signs declaring Tafwyl welcome you in. After that, you can mingle and mooch around the trade stalls which are all Welsh artists, designers, and makers, selling everything from prints to jewellery and more. (Image: Steph Colderick) From there the festival opens up wider with the Tafiliwn stage to the left and the main stage, Prif Lwyfan, bang in front of you. Here Welsh artists from across Wales take to the stage bringing everything from rap to even renditions of Dolly Parton and Abba in Welsh. Lining the sides of this are the amazing food traders including Hoggi Hoggi Hoggi, Greek options, vegan and vegetarian options, paella, and more. Walk on past the main stage and past more incredible food vendors and you come into the children's section which has its own smaller stage and plenty of activities to keep the little ones occupied, such as the sports area and sensory tent. This is where Tafwyl really comes into its own, as it really is for everyone. (Image: Steph Colderick) Welsh speakers, non-Welsh speakers. Old, young, and everyone in between. Families, couples, friends, and every combination possible. It is truly joyous to walk past families spread out on picnics with little ones running around, young people grabbing drinks at the bar, elderly couples, and every walk of life in Wales, in one place, celebrating Welsh culture. You don't need to be fluent in Welsh to bob along to the music and it's impossible not to see how much joy it brings and how it brings people together. And it is totally free. It really is accessible for everyone and you can bring your own food, unopened soft drinks and reusable water bottles, so you literally don't have to spend a penny. Welsh culture should never be hidden away and really is there for everyone to enjoy and Tafwyl I feel is the perfect example of this. Free, accessible, welcoming, and incredibly good vibes - I couldn't ask for more from any festival. Diolch Tafwyl.
