Jeremy Clarkson says he is ‘very involved’ with the ownership of his beer and lager brand (Picture: GC Images)
Jeremy Clarkson has insisted his beer brand is not just another ‘celebrity gimmick’ – while taking a swipe at Phillip Schofield in the process.
The Grand Tour presenter launched Hawkstone in 2021, offering ‘premium’ British lager and cider.
It’s no surprise that Clarkson, 62, reckons his alcohol brand is head and shoulders above the rest, explaining that he’s fully involved with the process rather than just putting his name to a company like some other celebrities.
Schofield, 60, has found himself in Clarkson’s firing line with the presenter making a dig about the This Morning star’s divisive wine selection.
‘Most people want my beer to be a celebrity gimmick,’ Clarkson said.
The Clarkson’s Farm host told The Sun On Sunday: ‘They want it to be Phillip Schofield’s wine box, which has been withdrawn from sale now for being undrinkable.
Phillip Schofield launched his range of box wines in 2020 (Picture: When in Rome)
However, the brand has since been pulled from Waitrose shelves (Picture: When in Rome)
‘They want it to be that, they want it to be “I’ve just put my name on it”.’
He added: ‘But the truth of the matter is I am growing the spring barley and I am very involved in the ownership of the brewery.’
In October, it was revealed that Schofield’s selection of wine had been dropped from Waitrose after a series of mixed reviews.
A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk at the time: ‘It’s absolutely normal for us to review our selection from time to time and we haven’t sold this wine for a while.’
Schofield’s wine averaged two stars from 23 reviews on the Waitrose website, with branding it ‘undrinkable’ and ‘overpriced’.
Clarkson launched Hawkstone in 2021 (Picture: Hawkstone Lager)
One said: ‘There is nothing whatsoever you can do to make this drinkable.’
However, on Amazon, the reviews were a little more generous, with the wine averaging four stars from 223 reviews – although plenty of customers still weren’t happy with the taste.
Schofield partnered up with When In Rome to launch the wine in 2020.
In a statement at the time, the ITV star said: ‘I wanted figures on how eco-friendly box wine was and I wanted it to be good value. The result is something I felt I could really invest in.’
‘I have really enjoyed the process of sourcing, selecting and now sharing these wines with everyone.
‘I don’t think there is anything I have been so passionate about, so I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I do.’
In recent days, Clarkson has faced backlash for his ‘vie and disgusting’ comments about Meghan Markle, after he said dreams of people ‘throwing excrement’ at her, and that he despises her ‘on a cellular level’.
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Schofield’s rep for comment.
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Schofield’s line of box wine was removed from shelves in October.
