Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone cider has been urgently recalled because some batches of the glass bottles could explode and injure people.
Health chiefs told drinkers who found one of the affected batches to “immediately dispose of it underwater with thick gloves and goggles.”
Hawkstone Cider, launched in 2021 by Jeremy Clarkson and the Cotswold Brew, with the code L3160 on the bottle cap, has been given a ‘no drink’ label by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA).
This batch is over-fermented, leading to the dangerous gas formation in the glass bottles and the precautionary recall.
Customers with this code on the bottle cap can get their money back.
The cider is known locally as ‘Kaleb’s cider’ – named after Clarkson’s Farm star and right-hand man Kaleb Cooper.
A batch of Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone cider has been urgently recalled because the glass bottles could explode
The cider is known locally as ‘Kaleb’s cider’ – named after Clarkson’s Farm star and right-hand man Kaleb Cooper
The FSA, which published the warning, is calling back whenever health or safety issues are noticed with food and drink, meaning it cannot be sold.
There is a risk of glass bottles exploding, which could cause injury.
‘Don’t drink, because the bottle could explode. Contact Hawkstone at [email protected] for refund and replacement.
Drinkers have been told not to even return the unopened product to the place of purchase because of the risk of an explosion.
“Please avoid unnecessary handling of the product and do not return it to the store, but dispose of the product in a safe manner,” the FSA said.
Hawkstone is recalling the product and notices will be posted in stores explaining what customers can do once they have purchased it.
Health chiefs haven’t mentioned which stores sell the booze, but the former Top Gear host sells the cider directly to customers at his Diddly Squat farm shop.
Clarkson, who opened the Cotswolds farm shop in 2020, initially raised the alarm on social media with their weekend Hawkstone ciders before releasing an official notice through the FSA
The over-fermentation of batch L3160 caused the reported explosions – customers with this code on the bottle cap can get a refund
Diddly Squat Farm’s social media page said the bottles exploded from “over-fermentation.” Pictured: Diddly Squat Farm Shop
Clarkson, who opened the Cotswolds farm shop in 2020, initially sounded the alarm after a ‘huge cock’ with their Hawkstone ciders over the weekend.
The 63-year-old tweeted the panic alert, tweeting, “F*** F*** F*** F*** F*** F***. There has been a huge boom and as a result there is very little chance that some of our Hawkstone CIDER bottles will, there is no easy way to put it, explode.”
The Grand Tour presenter, recently spotted at Silverstone and Wimbledon, added: ‘If the cap is coded L3160, open it underwater, pour it away and contact us for a refund. [email protected].
‘I’m really sorry, but on the bright side, the beer is fine and still delicious. Like the cider, in untouched bottles. And almost all of them are.’
Hawkstone also warned customers to be careful of the dodgy batch, urging the public to exercise “extreme caution” when handling the glass bottles.
They explained that the cider had become too carbonated “because of the active champagne yeast which can leak or break.”