The tale of the death of the British pub has been well told . Around eight boozers a week are serving last orders for the final time. But some pubs are bucking the trend, the most famous of which is The Farmer’s Dog in Oxfordshire, Jeremy Clarkson’s latest success story. What is its secret?

Running a pub, Clarkson says, is harder than farming. He’s right

It’s not hard to see the appeal of this pub, a welcoming brick building with a spacious terrace overlooking the rolling Cotswold hills. When I visited a few weeks ago, the pub felt alive, bustling without descending into chaos. It’s a far cry from the boarded-up boozers I’ve lamented in these pages . It is also tellingly diverse, with Eastern European accents mingling with posh drawls; overheard banter, like a Polish builder ribbing

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