Diddly squat!: Traders pack up and leave Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm-Fest early with claims some stalls were ‘blocked in by a lorry’… and even Spud Man struggled to make a profit
Some traders packed up and left Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm-Fest early after claiming they didn’t make any money; Even Spud Man said he was having trouble making a profit.
Business owners posted tearful videos on social media, while another captioned it: “What a disgrace.” Giving new meaning to “squat”.
A stall owner claimed that his area was blocked by a truck.
Social media star and legendary potato seller Spud Man, whose real name is Ben Newman, said that he could make a small profit and that other catering companies were also in a difficult situation.
But he greeted the second day of trading: ‘Did we have a good day? We did it. Thank goodness, because if we were going to do this it was yesterday.’
He said he hoped to “make some money” by the end of the third day, which also included sales from another unit at the Bearded Theory festival in Derbyshire.
Organizers said they were ‘surprised’ that ‘a handful of attendees’ of the 400 people in attendance had already left.
The three-day festival takes place across 300 acres at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire over the bank holiday weekend; Adult tickets here cost £35 for a half-day or £60 for a full day.
Mr Clarkson is seen arriving with Kaleb Cooper at the three-day festival, which will take place over the bank holiday weekend
Social media star and legendary potato seller Spud Man, whose real name is Ben Newman, said that he could make a small profit and that other catering companies were also in a difficult situation.
Korrine Pallas, owner of pet products company Phoenix Equestrian and Pet Supplies, was one of those who left Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm-Fest early.
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Korrine Pallas, owner of pet products company Phoenix Equestrian and Pet Supplies, was also among those who left the festival early.
He said Friday was ‘the worst trading day we’ve ever had’.
“The situation at Farm-Fest was really terrible,” he said in a video posted on the company’s TikTok account.
‘When I say it’s not worth getting out of bed it’s an understatement. ‘It was terrible and I know everyone else felt the same and was in the same boat as us.’
Korrine informed her followers in a tearful message yesterday, in which she announced she would be leaving a day early, doing something the company has never done at a trade show before.
Holding back tears, he said: ‘It’s been a disaster for us and when you’re already a small family business in difficult times, it’s heartbreaking.’
He said there were ‘a couple of thousand missing’ and that it would have cost him £400 to come on Sunday ‘and I haven’t even come close to that in the last few days’.
‘It’s actually not close to anywhere,’ he said.
Emma, co-founder of pet brand Pops and Coco, said in a TikTok video today that the event was a complete disgrace.
‘There were many merchants returning home; “A lot of traders left last night, especially the dog traders,” he said.
‘I’d say 90 per cent of the traders in the whole fairground, no matter what they sell, have either made a loss and haven’t been able to recover their costs or are only making a little money at the moment.
‘It’s truly incredible to come to such a three-day event, heavily advertised on social media, and leave with a loss.’
Saddle fitter Julie Masters of Masters Saddles posted a photo on social media showing her stall being blocked by a huge truck.
He said that they decided to close the stand at The Great British Farm-Fest.
‘The installation and investment of resources is a very expensive mistake,’ he said. ‘Photos show the main shopping corridor and then us blocked by a lorry.
‘We asked for the truck to be moved several times, but to no avail. ‘We have thousands of pounds in our pocket and they won’t pay us back.’
Saddle fitter Julie Masters of Masters Saddles posted a photo on social media showing her stall being blocked by a huge truck.
Pictured are Jeremy Clarkson, Kaleb Cooper, Lisa Hogan and Charlie Ireland opening the first day of Farm Fest
While only 20,000 people attended the music festival and country fair yesterday, 55,000 people are expected to go over the weekend.
There are 12 arenas throughout the area where Clarkson performed with Kaleb Cooper.
Musical performances include a DJ set by Blur’s Alex James, 10cc, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Groove Armada.
A spokesperson for Jeremy Clarkson’s The Great British Farm-Fest said: ‘We are working closely with traders at The Great British Farm-Fest to provide support throughout our opening weekend.
‘We were surprised that a handful of the 400 exhibitors in attendance left the fair within hours of the first day without experiencing an event that attracted more than 50,000 visitors.’
