Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Brewery is preparing to install rooftop solar panels, months after the former Top Gear presenter publicly criticised the appearance of solar installations.
The project is expected to begin in November at Hawkstone’s brewing premises in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. It is a commercial decision at the brewery, not evidence that Clarkson has personally changed his views on renewable energy.
What is Hawkstone installing?
According to The Caterer, the brewery has selected Nottinghamshire-based Geo Green Power for its first rooftop solar photovoltaic installation.
The system is projected to generate 24.25 megawatt-hours of electricity each year and avoid about 4.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually once operational. Those are forecasts rather than measured results; the installation had not been reported as completed at the time of the announcement.
Electricity from the panels is intended to support energy-intensive brewing work, including milling, heating and cooling. The financial benefit is expected to come from purchasing less electricity, although no installation cost, payback period or verified annual saving has been disclosed.
Hawkstone head brewer Ben Bonham said the investment would help the business reduce its environmental impact while improving efficiency and resilience.
What did Jeremy Clarkson say about solar panels?
In a Sunday Times column published in February 2026, Clarkson criticised several net zero policies and objected particularly to the appearance of solar panels on roofs, calling them ugly.
The contrast is striking, but there is a distinction between Clarkson’s published opinion on the appearance of domestic rooftop panels and Hawkstone’s decision to invest in commercial energy generation. Neither the brewery announcement nor the available reporting establishes that he personally approved the installation.
From Top Gear to solar-powered beer
Clarkson’s scepticism about electric vehicles was a recurring feature of his motoring television work. An official BBC Studios clip from Top Gear Classic shows Clarkson and James May testing electric cars and confronting charging delays. It provides context for his motoring persona, although it is not a clip of him discussing solar panels.
Watch this official Top Gear Classic clip directly on YouTube if the embedded player does not load.
The brewery is separate from Diddly Squat Farm, even though Hawkstone’s association with Clarkson and British agriculture is central to its branding.
Why the decision matters
For energy-hungry businesses, a solar installation can be a straightforward attempt to control costs and reduce exposure to electricity prices. The claimed environmental savings are a separate benefit.
Hawkstone’s project therefore illustrates a useful reality: a business can adopt renewable technology for practical reasons without its most famous founder becoming a convert to every part of the net zero agenda.
Sources
- The Caterer: Hawkstone Brewery solar installation announcement
- The Sunday Times: Jeremy Clarkson’s February 2026 net zero column
- Top Gear Classic: official BBC Studios electric-car clip
Featured illustration is an editorial composite, not a photograph of the completed installation.
