Clarkson’s Farm has returned for a fifth season and while only those who are involved in the production get to go onto the farm grounds, I got as close as one could and took a trip to Diddly Squat Farm Shop.
The shop, situated in Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds, was first opened in 2020 after the Diddly Squat team grew tonnes of potatoes, not expecting the results that came with it.
Upon realising how much could be produced from the farm, a shop was soon created.
“We hope the shop and our produce reflects that honesty,” its mission statement reads. “No pretending. No dressing it up. Just good food, from good people, grown in good soil.”
Before I even reached Chipping Norton all anyone could tell me was to get there as early as possible because the queues are very long. But surely, on a Tuesday at 9:30am just as it opens, there’d be no queues at all? Wrong!
The shop alone has almost 3 million followers on Instagram, so it wasn’t all that surprising to see a queue meandering outside and behind the shop, with visitors from across the UK and Europe who had travelled specifically to the Cotswolds to visit the shop.
As you wait to enter the shop you are greeted by fresh fruit and vegetables before a fridge filled with pork-based products and another with Clarkson’s own Hawkstone Brewery brand and fresh milk.
Nothing could have quite prepared me for the other side of the shop, which featured a hilarious Clarkson twist.
Stacked together were candles that read ‘This Smells Like My B*****ks’. It was a rookie mistake to give it a whiff and I’ll certainly never be doing it again. According to Clarkson, the wax is made from his own farm bees and is blended to smell like his old car seat.
While I can’t attest to the scent of the car seat, it did smell rather offensive to my nostrils. Safe to say, I didn’t add that to my basket.
Instead, as I walked around the shop, I bought a carton of chocolate milk and a packet of lightly salted crisps, all of which had ingredients home grown at Diddly Squat – and it didn’t break the bank either.
And if you’re not visiting for a spot of shopping, the grounds themselves are a lovely ode to Clarkson’s Farm, with signs aplenty pointing to the Prime Video series, and some parts you’re able to sign and write messages on during your visit (though others are completely off limits for any writing).
Next to the shop is an ice-cream van along with a bar that serves a range of alcoholic beverages, including Hawkstone, and a seating area for people to take in their surroundings.
Food is also served at the bar with brunch and lunchtime offerings including bacon, sausage and fried egg buns, the latter of which includes local eggs from Cackleberry Farm.
Some of the lunch options include The Big View (“the off the telly one”) – a beef burger with onions caramelised in Hawkstone lager. There are also vegetarian, plain and sausage options too.
All in all, a trip to the farm shop is a lovely day out whether you’re in the market for some homegrown farm snacks or a meal with a view – and it’s dog friendly!
We can expect some nods and potential visits to the farm shop this season, with the first four episodes on Prime Video now.
Season 5 returns amidst a government budget that sends the UK farming community into uproar and Jeremy decides some big changes are needed to make the farm run more smoothly.
Last season, Jeremy set up the Farmer’s Dog pub, what new venture does season 5 hold?
Clarkson’s Farm season 5 episodes 1-4 are streaming now on Prime Video, with seasons 1-4 also available. Sign up for Amazon Prime for £8.99 a month.
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