James May faces major competition with pub venture - and it's not from Jeremy Clarkson

James May and Jeremy Clarkson have made no secret of their rivalry, going from The Grand Tour co-stars to pub and beverage brand competitors.

However, with James' The Royal Oak in Wiltshire and Jeremy's The Farmer's Dog in the Cotswolds the latter won't be James' direct rival where their pubs are concerned. There are two big hitters - one a major name and the other a hidden gem - that could threaten to steal his crown.

The Royal Oak lies in the picturesque village of Swallowcliffe, with the only other public building around being the local church - but just a 15 minute drive away is the equally idyllic rural village of Hindon. Branded an official outstanding area of natural beauty, it's so remote and free from light pollution that its nearest railway station has been designated a Dark Skies area where constellations can be seen with the naked eye.

The Lamb is a historic 12th century coaching inn there - and its cosy, comfortable bedrooms and legendary Sunday roasts beneath wooden beam ceilings and beside crackling log fires are set to steal James' shine. Both venues share a similar theme and type of location, so which one should readers choose?

James' pub is great for a taste of one of his famous gins, with drinks ranging from 40 to 57 per cent volume. His new mystery flavour has just been unveiled as a mushroom and patchouli-accented tipple, which is titled California Dreamgin' as it's been inspired by the US state's "hippie movement".

His gins are among a huge beverage list available at his pub, including wines such as the red Riebeek Cellars Shiraz, which the menu jokes might not be in stock as James has "bought a few cases for his own personal drinking".

However, The Lamb shouldn't be under-estimated in comparison, as it offers everything from authentic pints of real ale to a cocktail menu to enjoy on the garden terrace.

Meanwhile, what truly distinguishes it from other pubs is its reputation for producing dry-aged steaks from only the finest local meat.

Each one has spent no less than 35 days being aged to perfection with the venue's in-house dry-ager until it yields the ultimate tender, succulent flavour.

There's also a range of desserts with quirky and surprising accents, including the sticky toffee pudding that comes with honeycomb ice-cream.

For cosy, Christmas comfort food, it won't disappoint, and with 18 characterful bedrooms - three times more than The Royal Oak's six - diners are more likely to be able to book an overnight stay.

Guests don't have to choose one over the other as there's a mere 15-minute drive between them, although legendary pub The Pig, another major competitor, is a little further, taking an hour in the car - and it's worth the drive.

It's located slap bang in the middle of the New Forest, where ponies trot along the high street without a care in the world, and autumn leaves swirl atmospherically in the sky on crisp November days.

Jeremy has to compete with The Pig's Cotswolds venue, while James has the Brockenhurst venue - the original first-ever Pig - to contend within his corner.

It's truly formidable competition too, boasting a walled garden where herbs and vegetables are grown on site and added to diners' plates just hours after being picked.

There's one chilli variety so spicy that it can't be served up for safety reasons - and it's so fiery that the seeds could even burn your skin - but the ambitious gardeners still grow it on the premises for creative reasons.

With an "obsessive commitment" to growing their own food or sourcing it within a strict 25-mile radius of the hotel, everything on diners' plates is guaranteed to be extra-fresh.

In fact, The Pig is so famous for its food that despite having 32 bedrooms, it still regards itself not as a hotel, but as a "restaurant with rooms".

A map on the menu details exactly where each product is sourced, from chalk stream trout just 12 miles away, to beverages from the Vibrant Forest Brewery and Winchester Distillery (six and 24 miles away respectively).

The hotel also has sheep, goats, chickens and, of course, occasionally pigs living on the premises.

They too contribute to the products on site, with all natural goats' milk soap from the herd taking pride of place in bathrooms, with no artificial or synthetic additives.

There's no doubt that The Pig and The Lamb are both huge competitors for James, though the seven million social media followers of his gin brand would rate his beverages as unmissable too.