The Team

We are a family farm with Simon and Claire Bainbridge, our two children Abigail and George and Simons mother, Elisabeth. We farm 1,650 acres of the Northumberland uplands organically. With 180 Suckler Cows, 1,200 breeding ewes and 24,000 free range layers we are kept pretty busy. We produce all the feed for the sheep and cattle on the holding and produce all our own replacements for the breeding stock on the farm.

  • Simon Bainbridge

    Simon farms with a real passion. He is striving to get the best from the land he has available. Sustainable productivity organically is a goal. With 180 suckler cows, 1,200 breeding ewes and now the 24,000 organic layers he is constantly seeking ways in which to push the business whist preserving the environment he farms within. Simon took on the tenancy of 890 ac from his father in 2000 aged 27 and since then has expanded the business to 1,650 acres taking on more tenanted land and purchasing 705 acres. The farm went into organic conversion in 2009 and since then Simon has strived to produce high quality home grown forage protein to produce a high quality grass fed premium product.

    Simon studied an HND in agriculture at Harper Adams Agricultural College, was the Monitor Farm for Northumberland 2010 – 2013. He was Vice Chairman for the North East Livestock Board for the NFU, sat on the National Livestock Board as well as past Chairman of the Morpeth branch and member of the Organic forum for the NFU. He has won the Hampshire Down Commercial Flock of the year 2012, Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year Finalist 2014, Highly Commended for Waitrose Farming Partnership Futureproofing Award 2014 and Reserve Champion for Hereford Suckler Herd of the Year 2015. He was one of the Waitrose Farming Partnership Commercial Development Farms on the Sustainable Forage Protein Project and has completed the 21st Challenge of Rural Leadership with the Worshipful Company of Farmers.

    Simon is Regional Board Member of the CLA and also on the Uplands, Agriculture & Land Use Comittees for the CLA.

  • Claire Bainbridge

    Claire was brought up on arable farms in East Anglia and is now fully adjusted to life on a livestock farm in the Northumberland uplands. She moved to Donkin Rigg in 2006 and works alongside Simon in with the growth of the business. She predominantly handles most aspects of the administrative side of the business and now manages the 24,000 organic free range layers. She also looks after their two children Abigail and George. Claire has an Honours degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management from Harper Adams. She is a qualified Chartered Surveyor, Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV).

  • Abigail Bainbridge

    Abigail loves living on the farm and is interested in all aspects and has plans to be involved in agriculture in the future.

  • George Bainbridge

    George is the youngest member of the Bainbridge Farms business. George has been brought up on a diet of agriculture and also plans to be involved in agriculture in the future.

  • Elisabeth Bainbridge

    Elisabeth has been involved in education throughout her professional career, as a head teacher in the past training and assessing schools in their Basic Skills Quality Mark. She takes a keen interest in the farm as well as being actively involved in the local community through the parish council, village hall and church. Elisabeth also supports the family and often looks after her grandchildren.

  • Michael Taylor

    Michael has been working with us since Autumn 2014 and is a crucial member of the team. He is our stockman and manages all of the winter routine for the cattle, calving and is intrinsic to all the d forage harvesting operations across the farm. Michael lives on the farm with his partner Debbie and he has three children; Maisie, Emily and David. 

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    Davy Livingstone

    Davy is our shepherd and has sole responsibilty for the 1,250 Breeding ewes across the farm, their replacements and their lambs.  Davy has been with us since Autumn 2024. Davy is critical to the farm plan & lives on the farm with his partner Abbie .

  • The Hen Team  

    We have a great team helping us with our hens.  Our team ranges from full-time committed hen personell to those still at school helping out at the weekend, as well as those in their sixties & seventies, to those who just help a couple of days a week.  A great team

  • Rebecca M

    Rebecca has been with us since 2022 and works accross all of the enterprises. She is local and and the grand daughter of our old shepherd Jack Hedley who retired in 2014.