Rigg & Furrow
For generations, Acklington Park Farm was synonymous with dairy farming, its fields alive with the sound of lowing cattle and the daily rhythm of hooves making their way to the milking parlour. It’s a way of life that has sustained this farm for centuries. However, as the British dairy industry faced a steep decline, elements of the farm’s operations gradually became unsustainable. In 2009, the difficult decision to cease dairy production was finally made. What they didn’t know at the time was that this difficult decision, would in fact be the catalyst for the conception of one of the country’s most exciting and innovative farmhouse breweries.
The Rigg & Furrow story began in late 2016 when husband-and-wife team, Theo and Pippa Howie, decided to leave behind the fast-paced energy of London and relocate to Pippa’s family farm in rural Northumberland. After more than a decade in the city, the pair were ready for a change. For Theo, formerly a music teacher by profession and hobbyist home brewer, London had provided a place of opportunity and learning for his passion for beer making. After years of experimentational brewing in his kitchen at home, he was able to leave his career in music and secure a position at a Wild Card Brewery in Walthamstow where he would spend years learning his craft under the tutelage of their master brewers. Theo’s time with Wild Card enabled him to refine his skills and he took every opportunity to expand his knowledge and experiment in his post. Meanwhile, Pippa, a graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London, had built a successful career in theatre, arts, and events. Though both had found success in their respective fields, they knew London wasn’t their forever home. When changes at Pippa's family farm presented new possibilities, the couple saw a unique opportunity: to return to Northumberland, repurpose the now-redundant milking parlour, and write a new chapter in the farm's history.
While diversification is becoming a more common strategy for farms adapting to the ever-changing rural economy, for the Howie’s, it was vital that if they were going to reimagine the future of Acklington Park Farm, it would have to honour the area's rich agricultural heritage. Theo and Pippa chose to imbed this ethos into their brand philosophy from the very beginning. The brewery's name, for instance, is derived from the ancient ploughing patterns visible in a field adjacent to the production buildings—“rigg” and “furrow” referring to the ridges and troughs etched into the land over centuries of cultivation. Fittingly this is also the field where Theo and Pippa were married!
The transformation of the former milking parlour to the brewery’s main production facility was equally thoughtful, with an emphasis on preserving the original character of the building while making the most of the existing structures. The parlour’s spacious layout, good ventilation, and pre-cut drainage channels—originally designed for easy cleaning—proved ideal for brewery operations. Even the old grain shoots, once used to feed dairy cows, were repurposed and now supply the brewery’s impressive fermentation vats.
With a world-class production facility now at his disposal, in 2017 Theo began brewing, drawing on years of experience and experimentation to quickly develop Rigg & Furrow’s core range of delectable farmhouse beers. Within weeks the brewery was ready to go to market with an impressive first offering. This consisted of Run Hop Run a smooth session IPA, The Pale Ale, brewed with Golden Promise barley and English Hops, Trickster a hoppy amber ale, and a robust Owl Porter made with a blend of five malts. The ales and lagers brewed at Rigg & Furrow were an instant hit. Within just nine months, the farm was supplying over 100 bars, hotels and venues from Scotland to Yorkshire. This initial feedback gave Theo and Pippa the confidence to take the next step: creating an on-site taproom and licensed bar to serve the local rural community. Hand-crafted by Pippa’s uncle Simon, a talented carpenter, the taproom was transformed from a once-derelict farm building into a warm, inviting space. It has quickly become a vibrant hub where locals and visitors alike gather to enjoy freshly brewed beer right at the source. Open on Fridays and Saturdays, the venue offers a lively atmosphere, complete with an outdoor beer paddock in the summer. It’s especially popular with locals walking from nearby villages like Felton, Acklington and Guyzance, whilst regulars travelling from Warkworth and Amble rota in a designated driver. With a rotating schedule of street food vendors each weekend, it has become a beloved destination where people come for dinner and stay all evening, enjoying the relaxed, sociable setting.
In addition to supplying kegs of beer to venues across the country, Rigg & Furrow also supplies their distinctive range of lagers and ales in cans. The eye-catching designs adorning each can are all created in-house by Theo, who taught himself graphic design alongside building the brewery. With the new addition of their own on-site canning facility, Rigg & Furrow has achieved their aim to be 100% operationally self-sufficient. As the brewery has expanded in both size and popularity, it has gradually taken over more of the farm’s disused agricultural buildings, accelerating the diversification of Acklington Park Farm. The taproom has tripled in size, and a newly repurposed cow barn now serves as an exquisite wedding and events venue for up to 200 guests. Even Brian, the farm’s tractor driver, has diversified his role, now doubling as the brewery’s beer delivery driver to all their local stockists. The brewery now employs five members of staff across various operations and the taproom, beyond its local draw, is rapidly becoming a popular destination for beer tourists travelling from far and wide.
What began as a necessary shift away from dairy farming has rapidly grown into one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative farmhouse breweries. Theo and Pippa’s forward thinking approach to craft brewing has not only built a thriving rural business, it has successfully reimagined the future of their family farm, transforming it into a thriving destination for beer lovers and locals alike.
As featured in This Is Northumberland 2025
