A farmer has gone viral with a post that reached more than one million viewers on social media.
The Watercress Company (TWC) posted on social media after discovering that TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, was serving their watercress—but not sourced directly from them.
Jordan Saracoglu, a grower at TWC, addressed Jeremy Clarkson in the post with an offer to supply him direct, and urged anyone who saw it to tag the pub.
Tom Amery, managing director of TWC, said: "I was so excited by the response.
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"We achieved what we needed—to deal direct with The Farmer’s Dog—but more importantly we achieved some notoriety and managed to make watercress part of the wider food conversation."
The post quickly gained traction, amassing over one million views in its first week, with more than half from overseas.
TWC began supplying The Farmer’s Dog the following day, and other restaurants also reached out as a result of the viral post.
To meet this new demand, TWC launched a direct order option on its website, allowing anyone to order a minimum of 1kg of fresh watercress for next-day delivery.
While most UK watercress sales—99 per cent—come from 85g supermarket packs, TWC believes direct engagement with customers is vital for raising awareness and boosting sales.
Supermarkets base their product choices on rate of sale, which depends on consumer awareness and frequency of purchase.
TWC has long promoted watercress through recipe ideas, health messaging, and community events like the annual Watercress Festival.
Mr Amery said: "People are choosing their media differently and we are trying to engage with existing and new consumers directly.
"It’s imperative that we sell more watercress to keep the industry thriving and reinvesting, but to do that we need to drive awareness of the care and skill required to grow watercress, as well as the passion that the team pour into growing and harvesting every watercress leaf."
TWC has produced videos for YouTube and Instagram over the past year, aiming to build familiarity and drive year-round demand.
During the British off-season from November to April, TWC supplies watercress from its farms in Spain, grown to the same high standards.
Watercress is cultivated in Victorian gravel beds, nourished by mineral-rich water from underground aquifers.
Despite this summer’s challenging conditions for UK farmers, watercress remained resilient, unlike other salad crops affected by heat and drought.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, watercress is the world’s most nutrient-dense vegetable, earning a perfect score of 100 on their health index.
TWC encourages consumers to purchase watercress from the farm directly or from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and M&S stores across the UK.
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