Jeremy Clarkson’s ambitions for his premium beer brand, Hawkstone, are anything but modest. What began as a local collaboration using barley from his Diddly Squat farm is now Britain’s fastest-growing privately owned brewery — and it’s just getting started.
Launched in 2021, Hawkstone is brewed in partnership with the Cotswold Brewing Company and is now served in more than 500 pubs across the UK. The brand, co-owned by Clarkson and entrepreneur Johnny Hornby, posted sales of £7.8 million in the year to March, and plans are underway to push into international markets.
“It is a fun business,” said Clarkson. “When you go out with people in brewing, they actually have a pint — and then usually another. I enjoy that a lot more than water at lunch.”
The original idea was simple: combine Clarkson’s media profile with British farming and quality brewing. Hawkstone uses barley grown on his 1,000-acre farm and has positioned itself as a premium product — a shift from its early tongue-in-cheek branding ideas like “Lager McLagerface”.
“Once we realised how much brewing actually costs, we knew it had to be premium,” Clarkson explained. The name ‘Hawkstone’ comes from a neolithic standing stone near his farm.
The brewery has since expanded its range to include low-alcohol options such as “Spa Lager” and a new fruit cider with blackberry, blackcurrant, and apple. Clarkson likens the cider to “a children’s party drink — but with a buzz.”
Clarkson’s co-star on Clarkson’s Farm, Kaleb Cooper, lent his name to Hawkstone’s cider offering, which weathered a high-profile setback in 2023 after a batch was overfermented and had to be recalled. “We completely cocked up,” said Clarkson, “but sales went up after we owned the mistake. Our refreshing honesty seemed to go down well.”
Heineken has taken a minority stake in the business, helping with logistics and distribution. Meanwhile, Clarkson and his fellow directors — including managing director Owen Jenkins and chairman Hugh van Cutsem — are pushing forward with plans for national and international expansion.
Clarkson envisions Hawkstone in “200,000 pubs, from the Pacific Northwest to Brisbane.” Though tongue-in-cheek, the ambition is serious. Elon Musk was recently seen sipping Hawkstone on a yacht in France, adding celebrity cachet to the brand’s international profile.
Jenkins, formerly with C&C Group (owners of Magners and Tennent’s), says Hawkstone is targeting a gap in the market. “There’s no true premium British lager dominating the market,” he said. “That’s what we’re aiming to be.”
Expansion isn’t limited to brewing. Clarkson has hinted that buying pubs could be the next step, citing a “worryingly large” number of venues currently up for sale. “Owners will literally bite your arm off if you ask to buy,” he said.
Despite his business success, Clarkson remains modest — and slightly irreverent — about his credentials. “I don’t know what EBIT means and I don’t want to know,” he joked. “But I like the idea of growing the barley, making the beer, and then drinking it. That part I understand.”
Hawkstone is now sourcing additional grain from other UK farmers after Diddly Squat’s own harvest failed to meet brewing standards last year. “We’re proud to say our beer supports British agriculture,” Clarkson added. “It’s not made with Italian or German barley — it’s homegrown.”
Looking ahead, the brand is open to new partnerships. “We’d love to talk to British hop growers,” Clarkson said. “If we could make Hawkstone entirely from UK-grown ingredients, that would be brilliant.”
With new product development, retail expansion, and potential pub acquisitions on the table, Hawkstone’s journey from Diddly Squat to global pint glasses is well underway — even if its co-founder insists he’s making it up as he goes along.