I ate at Jeremy Clarkson's and James May's pubs in the same day — 1 is clearly better

Jeremy Clarkson's pub has gone on to become the most popular in the UK since it opened 18 months ago. After years of planning and unexpected hurdles, he got permission to open the doors in 2024 with the process documented on his popular reality show, Clarkson's Farm.

But he isn't the only former Top Gear host who owns a pub in the UK. With far fewer headlines, his former co-star James May also runs a little watering hole just two hours away. After growing up with Top Gear and now living with a fiancé who loves The Grand Tour and Clarkson's Farm, we decided to see which was best by visiting both in the same day.

We hopped in the car and first headed down to the tiny village of Swallowcliffe in Wiltshire with grumbling stomachs, ready to try out James' jam-packed lunch menu. The pub is around 12 miles from Salisbury and an easy half-hour drive from Stonehenge.

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The first-class eatery is the perfect place to stop by after an afternoon dog walk. Along with a church it's one of only two non-residential buildings in the small hamlet. Despite being owned by the beloved broadcaster, The Royal Oak appeared to host frequent locals who enjoyed an afternoon tipple with friends.

The first thing we ordered was a bread slate, which came with an array of homemade breads, a scrumptious spiced hummus and salted butter. We also opted for the crispy feta accompanied with figs and pesto, which was the real star of the show. The gooey feta oozed perfection, making it a delicious treat to kickstart the meal.

For the mains, we had beer-battered fish and chips, a staple that any well-respecting pub needs to nail. And it's fair to say it did just that, delivering on all fronts, with extra care and attention taken in the hand-cut chips and seasoned mushy peas, and finished with a side of tartare sauce.

We also had the pub's take on burger and fries, which was elevated with the inclusion of gorgonzola rarebit, lyonnaise onions, and mustard mayonnaise, and a butternut squash and artichoke risotto, a seasonal special that was a wonderfully comforting meal, much needed after a long journey. The tasty food wasn't set back by a nasty price, either. Our starters all came under a tenner, and the mains came in at £20 per dish, making it accessible to anyone who wanders by.

There is only one dish on James' menu that comes at a hefty cost: the locally produced Chateaubriand of Wiltshire beef, which comes with field mushrooms, peppercorn sauce, onion rings, hand-cut chips and a watercress salad. The meal sets each diner back a staggering £85, so we gave that one a miss.

The gorgeous eatery is a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, and unlike Jeremy's establishment, fans won't have to wait weeks to get a table. After filling up on the scrumptious food, we made the two-hour drive to the more famous pub.

Unlike James' quaint pub, we had to book six weeks in advance for our table at the Farmer's Dog, and even then, the only booking we could squeeze in was at 8.45pm on a Tuesday evening. It was harder to get a table for two than it was to get a pair of Oasis tickets!

After making the trip down to the pub, we took a tour of the several outbuildings on the sprawling site. For those who didn't manage to get a table at the exclusive venue, fans can still indulge in an evening meal at The Farmer's Puppy, which sells burgers and light bites galore.

It also boasts an outdoor pub which is decked out with several pieces of merch from the Amazon Prime show. We picked up a graphic T-shirt for £25 as the staff gushed over our two dogs, Winnie and Teddy. For early birds, you can also purchase freshly baked bread from the pub at their stall called The Farmer's Dough, and during the summer months, they even have an ice cream stall and a children's games set up in the fields.

Before our meal, we enjoyed a glass of fizz from the bar, deciding to make the most of the losing daylight which looked out across the rolling hills in the Oxfordshire countryside. But with such a late booking, we made the most of our evening and made a pit stop at Bicester Village shopping outlet, which sells thousands of designer items for a fraction of the price.

One thing Jeremy's pub has over his former colleague's is its desirable location. Although The Royal Oak is surrounded by gorgeous countryside, which was even more colourful as we firmly head into autumn, there were far more things to do in Oxfordshire while we waited for our table at The Farmer's Dog.

With grumbling tummies, we returned to the venue at 8.30pm, where we were welcomed by fairy lights lining the trees to the spacious car park. Despite being 15 minutes early, the staff were extremely strict with timings and escorted us over to the bar for a drink while we waited for 8.45pm to roll around.

We waited outside on the decking, which was fitted with enormous heaters, its very own bar and tables with blankets on offer to wrap up warm outside. Thankfully, because we brought the pooches with us, we managed to secure a small table in the corner of the room, which gave us a bit more room to stretch out.

But most of the other patrons were forced to get comfortable with their neighbours during their meals, with little room to stretch out between each table. It appeared as though the team had squeezed in as many tables as they could to hold the mass of fans looking to get the full Clarkson's Farm experience.

The well-rehearsed waiting staff came to each table within minutes, taking both our orders and delivering them within 15 minutes. For this meal, we decided to get a main and a dessert. One of us went for the Cotswold lamb and mint sausage, accompanied by homemade flatbread, a fresh summer slaw, and cucumber-infused Somerset yoghurt, costing £22. The other went for The Farmer's Dog Caesar Salad, which included crispy chicken, tomatoes, croutons, half a soft-boiled egg, and a homemade Caesar dressing for just £20. One thing that struck me about Jeremy's menu was the limited choice of meals on offer.

Despite his determination to make all of his food and drinks locally sourced, the meals on offer were very similar. Apart from the two dishes we ate, the other options included Sausages of the Day, Gammon Steak, and Steak Pie, all of which came with a side of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, seasonal greens, and his Hawkstone gravy.

It does make sense to use the same food for most of the meals, and it does reduce food waste, but it doesn't give fans much choice for their highly sought-after meal. Criticisms aside, the food was absolutely delicious, with the salad being one of the best I have eaten in a long time.

To round out the day, we indulged in the poached rhubarb crumble cake for dessert to share, which put all the flavours of autumn onto one plate. Overall, I would argue that Jeremy's pub pip's James' establishment to the post in terms of experience and overall taste. The Royal Oak can compete with The Farmer's Dog on price and quality, but there are arguably more obvious attractions surrounding the latter.

However, it should be noted that James' hidden gem is a pub to its bones, whereas Jeremy's exclusive establishment felt more like a restaurant inside a pub. It certainly lacked a sofa or fireplace, with not a single screen to watch the football on — three main fixtures needed in any good pub.