JEREMY Clarkson’s exclusive deal with British Airways has been highlighted as an example of how to scale up a business.
The Clarkson’s Farm presenter has landed a “highly valuable” deal to have his Hawkstone lager served on short-haul flights.
He announced the news on Instagram as he flew home with BA on Friday, June 26, from watching England in the World Cup.
He said from the flight: “Farmers of the UK, good news.
“You know we buy your barley to turn into Hawkstone lager?
“Well British Airways, which is where I am now, is now serving that lager on their flights. I kid you not, they are.”
Jeremy Clarkson has signed an exclusive deal with British Airways (Image: Submit)
The deal comes at a productive time for the 66-year-old farmer, who had been supporting the Three Lions in Boston, USA.
Hawkstone lager, produced entirely from British barley made by UK farmers, has also been snapped up by Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Marston’s pubs.
It will be available through the airline’s High Life Cafe which serves onboard food and drink.
Kevin Brent, of Worcester-based BizSmart, which supports businesses to scale up, said: “From a business perspective, it’s an excellent example of how to scale a consumer brand.
“British Airways effectively gives Hawkstone access to a captive audience that already expects premium food and drink, making it a highly valuable route to market.
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“What the story so far illustrates is: build a compelling story, in this case British farming and Clarkson’s Farm, create a premium product, and secure high-credibility distribution rather than relying solely on advertising.
“Clarkson has let the distribution channel become part of the marketing.
“For founders, the lesson is that a single strategic distribution partnership can sometimes do more for brand awareness than millions spent on advertising.”
Jeremy Clarkson at his Diddly Squat Farm (Image: Archive)
Branding expert Jonathan Gabay also believes the former Top Gear host is in for a financial windfall.
He said: “There’s the celebrity angle whereby this isn’t a standard endorsement where BA pays Clarkson a flat fee to be the ‘face’ of the airline. It’s a commercial supply deal.
“Clarkson’s real payout comes from using BA as a global shop window to skyrocket Hawkstone’s total company value.
“Then there’s the precedent: It mirrors deals like celebrity chef Tom Kerridge’s ‘Speedbird Café’ partnership with BA, or Iron Maiden star Bruce Dickinson’s Trooper Beer — high-volume, low-marketing corporate accounts that generate steady seven-figure annual revenues while building massive long-term brand equity for an eventual corporate buyout.”
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Hawkstone, named after a Cotswold stone, was announced earlier this year as the fastest-growing company in the region in the fourth annual Sunday Times 100 rankings.
The brewery, whose largest shareholder is The Grand Tour presenter, was ranked 23rd on the list, which ranks the 100 leading entrepreneurial businesses in the UK.
The brand has expanded into more than 1,500 UK pubs.
However Hawkstone and Clarkson have been more geared towards supporting the ‘hard-grafting’ farming industry, especially hop growers, than trumpeting their own financial success.
