THE supplier of the steak at the centre of the Top Gear fracas says it can understand why Jeremy Clarkson was so keen for his supper.

Yorkshire Dales Meat Company said it provided the steak to Simonstone Hall which the presenter apparently wanted instead of a cold meat platter in an incident that led to the presenter’s suspension from the BBC.

The star was apparently upset that he could not order a steak because the kitchen had closed by the time he and the production team arrived at the country hotel near Hawes.

The steak in question was a sirloin supplied by the catering butcher based in Patrick Brompton, near Bedale.

Although the Simonstone Hall kitchen had thought ahead and laid on a cold buffet for the Top Gear team, Mr Clarkson was apparently adamant that he wanted a steak.

The Northern Echo: Manure dumped on Clarkson's lawn

James Knox, managing director of Yorkshire Dales Meat Company, said: “Though we of course do not wish to comment on the fracas itself and know that the Simonstone Hall kitchen had to close when it did, we do understand why Mr Clarkson would be so keen to enjoy one of our sirloin steaks.

“Tender and full of flavour, real steak enthusiasts hold sirloin steaks in the highest esteem, especially when that sirloin is sourced locally and aged to perfection as ours are. Our traditionally matured sirloin goes down a treat with professional kitchens across the North of England.

“We’re led to believe that Simonstone Hall attempted to cool tensions by agreeing to cook Mr Clarkson one of our sirloin steaks despite the kitchen having closed. If that’s the case, we very much hope he enjoyed it.”

Meanwhile, a family who witnessed the row said Clarkson went into the bar at around 9.30pm after a day of filming last Wednesday.

Bob Ward, 60, from Leeds, told Sky News the star refused to have a selfie taken with him, saying: "No, not with the day I have had."

His wife Sue claimed Clarkson then said it was "ridiculous there was nothing to eat" and she said he thought his colleague had not done his job properly.

"Obviously there were lots of expletives in between all this," she added.

She said Clarkson told his colleague "he would see to it that he would be losing his job".