Lucca Allen made a big impression on viewers with his appearance on the latest series of Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Clarkson’s Farm’. The 20 year old has recently settled in the Cotswolds and snagged a job at Diddly Squat Farm in Chipping Norton.
Jeremy Clarkson introduced the multi-talented lad, saying: “Lucca is Didley Squat’s Swiss army knife. He’s a racing driver, he works at the farm shop, and he comes from a famous Irish culinary dynasty.”
No stranger to the kitchen, Lucca showcased his cooking skills by whipping up some nettle soup, which was a hit with both Jeremy and farm manager Kaleb Cooper. When he’s not working at the farm, Lucca is known for his exploits on the race track as an Irish racing driver. He began karting in 2011 and clinched the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship title in 2019.
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He ventured into endurance racing in 2022 and participated in the Le Mans Cup in 2023. Earlier this year he took part in the F4 Saudi Arabian Championship where he finished 17th, reports the Express. But Lucca isn’t the only star in the family – his mum is renowned TV chef Rachel Allen, 52, who has appeared in her own TV series and penned numerous cookbooks.
Rachel Allen didn’t hesitate to defend her son on Instagram when the ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ stars questioned whether he had his Environmental Health Certifications. “He does have it. HACCP trained,” she promptly responded, alongside a shared snippet from the programme.
Coming from a long line of famous chefs, Lucca’s grandmother is renowned chef Darina Allen, and his great-grandmother was Michelin star-winning Myrtle Allen. His parents, Isaac Allen and Rachel Allen, both have roots in Ballymaloe Cookery School, where they met back in 1989.
Lucca has found an unexpected pit stop in his career at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm shop. He is joined at the farm shop alongside his girlfriend Jemima, who he met while she was attending a cookery course at Ballymaloe. In a chat with RSVP Live, Lucca shared insights into his current gig: “I am waiting until I can make a living off racing full-time but for now I live and work in the Cotswolds, in Jeremy’s farm shop.”
He added, “Luckily, we have a farm shop at home so I have experience. Lisa Hogan, Jeremy’s girlfriend, is a family friend, so I rang her to see if there would be a job and explained I would be racing also. So far so good! ” Lucca appreciates the flexibility of his current job, noting, “They have been really understanding as there will be a week-and-a-half from March to November that I race but I work as hard as I can for them when I am there. It has been really good.”
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