Jeremy Clarkson criticises Phillip Schofield’s ‘undrinkable’ wine

Jeremy Clarkson has taken a dig at Phillip Schofield’s wine brand while insisting his own alcohol is more than a ‘celebrity gimmick’.

The Clarkson’s Farm host teamed up with the Cotswold Brew Co. last year to launch his brand Hawkstone, which offers ‘a range of premium lager & cider’.

The products are available in pubs as well as online, and Clarkson has stressed that he is very involved with the company – it’s not just something he’s attached his name to.

Hawkstone came onto the scene the year after Schofield announced the launch of his wine in 2020 in collaboration with When In Rome.

Clarkson has insisted he’s very involved with the beer brand. Credit: Hawkstone

In a statement at the time, the This Morning presenter 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.”

Unfortunately, it seems as if people didn’t quite enjoy the wine as much as Schofield did as his product was removed from Waitrose’s shelves and website in October after receiving poor feedback from customers.

One unimpressed customer left a review saying: “There is nothing whatsoever you can do to make this drinkable.”

A Waitrose spokesperson said at the time it was ‘absolutely normal’ for the company to review its selection from time to time, adding: “We haven’t sold this wine for a while.’

Schofield’s wine is no longer sold in Waitrose. Credit: When In Rome

And now, Clarkson has branded himself as being the opposite of Schofield as he spoke to The Sun On Sunday this week, in which he claimed: “Most people want my beer to be a celebrity gimmick. They want it to be Phillip Schofield’s wine box, which has been withdrawn from sale now for being undrinkable. They want it to be that, they want it to be ‘I’ve just put my name on it’.”

However, the Clarkson’s Farm star explained: “The truth of the matter is I am growing the spring barley and I am very involved in the ownership of the brewery.’

Hawkstone describes itself as using ‘only the highest quality malted barley’ for its products, which go through a ‘laborious’ brewing process including a four-week maturing process.

“The result is a unique, quality tasting lager that vindicates the extra time and effort invested: a lager that’s hard to make but easy to drink,” the website reads.