Jeremy Clarkson's Farm | Diddly Squat Farm Shop
We went to the Cotswolds a few weeks ago, celebrating the 60th birthday of one of our family members and whilst we were in the area, we decided to visit Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm Shop. If you aren't aware of it or aren't sure how it came into being in the first place, then chances are you haven't seen his hit Amazon Prime television programme.
Basically, he's owned the farm for quite some time and the farmer who he paid to run it for him retired. As such, Jeremy made the decision, pre-covid, to take it over himself. He did have some help from a neighbouring young farmer, a dry stone waller and a logistics manager, but the show basically shows him running most of the agricultural operations himself, and quite successfully might I add.
Anyway, fast forward 2 and a bit years and here we are - he now runs a modest-sized farm shop in Chipping Norting, a stones throw from Merrymouth and Stow - two picturesque Cotswolds villages. His premises would have been far larger only planning permission for expansion and and the inclusion of a small cafe keeps getting rejected.
So as it stands, it consists of a tiny car park, a small farm shop and a barn where you can order food and drink as well as a small gift shop-style corner where you can buy t-shirts and aprons. Oh, and also in the barn are a few lambs for you to pet, who are also overseen and watched over closely by a member of staff.
The farm shop itself holds a whole of host of foody treasures. From fresh "cow juice" that can be dispensed into plastic or glass bottles to jars of honey and spices, there's something in there for everyone. We bought a loaf of sourdough bread, some dry steak rub, a jar of honey, a glass milk bottle (without the milk) and two quirky, handmade mugs, one of which is made by Clarkson's son on the actual farm.
We then scooted round the corner to take a look at what was in the barn. On the programme, the barn where you now sit and have a drink and something to eat was the "sheep maternity ward" where all the lambing took place and, aptly so, there are now some lambs in there that you can go and stroke if you wish. You sit on picnic benches that overlook one of Clarkson's crop fields but, despite its (unintentional) simplicity and minimalist look, it actually had a great atmosphere and the views were all round stunning.
If we were ever in the area again, we'd definitely look to pay another visit. When we went, we managed to get a parking spot in the actual car park (shock horror), but that's only because we got there rather early in the morning and it was also a Sunday. I'd recommend getting there as early as you can to avoid parking on the road and up the banks of the field, although the shop is closed for some days of the week, so make sure you do your research :)
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Let me know in the comments whether you've been to Diddly Squat Farm Shop or if you're wanting to pay it a visit at some point soon. I'll see you again with a brand new blog post!
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