James May reveals his new project, and it has nothing to do with cars
James May/TwitterTop Gear and Grand Tour star James May has revealed his brand new project, and it has practically nothing to do with cars. Instead, the celebrity has invested in a quaint, roadside country British pub.
James May is known worldwide for his automotive misadventures with colleagues Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond over the years.
The trio have driven on every continent in the world over the course of their shows, but May’s latest project will bring him much closer to home.
On September 19, he teased fans with a photo taken in front of a nondescript white building, telling them he had just bought a pub (well, half of one anyway).
I’ve just bought half a pub. #TheRoySwallowcliffe pic.twitter.com/JKhR8p9gwW
— James May (@MrJamesMay) September 19, 2020
Despite calling it “The Roy” on his social media, the establishment’s actual name is “The Royal Oak” and it’s located in a small village called Swallowcliffe, Wiltshire, two miles southeast of Tisbury and 11 miles west of Salisbury in the south of England.
The pub is right off the main road through the village and looks like a great cozy spot to relax, grab a pint and some nice, hearty, English country food.
Since he made the news public, business at the Royal Oak seems to be booming (based on May’s social media at least). Considering all that’s going on in the world with curfews, it’s probably great for publicity to have one of the most well-known names in the automotive world as a co-owner.
For those of us who can’t make the trip over to the UK to check out May’s latest venture for ourselves at the moment, at least we can watch this video walkthrough with him from DRIVETUBE.
The star revealed the Royal Oak had been closed for a year before he took over and had never made a profit before – the old owners got fed up especially with what’s going on in the world today, so May stepped in.
“Yes, there has never been a worse time to buy half a pub, but let’s look on the bright side,” he insisted. “At least nobody else wanted it.”
The Royal Oak is now officially open, so if you ever happen to find yourself passing through lovely little Swallowcliffe you might consider stopping by. If you’re not into the food or drink, you can still try and catch a glimpse of the Grand Tour star.
