Go-getters the Tippett family didn’t let Covid disrupt their move across the Channel, so much so that during their first year in France they managed to set up a thriving microbrewery and turn a rundown farmhouse into a wonderful family home.
And that’s just for starters – when BricksAbroad spoke to them in May 2021, they were about to launch their own gin label and open a shop!
Simon and Rebecca Tippett’s feet barely touched the ground after they got the keys to their dilapidated ‘longère’, tucked away in the countryside 25 minutes north of the medieval town of Bressuire in the Deux-Sèvre department. That was back in February 2020 when their masterplan for starting a new life with their three children, Edward (14), Jasper (7) and Violet (4), and Rebecca’s parents, Tracey and Michael, got off to a flying start.
Race against lockdown!
“We all went over as a family for completion, after which Rebecca and Tracey took the children back
to our home in Sidcup, Kent, where we also run
a micropub,” recounted 35-year-old Simon, who worked as a police officer for 15 years. “I stayed
on with Michael, who is an experienced electrician, to start the conversion. The house was pretty much uninhabitable then, so we lived in a caravan.”
Rebecca, aged 37 and a former nurse, continued: “But then in March Covid got really bad and lockdowns came in. So rather than get stranded back in the UK, we brought forward our plans to return to France and in April got permission from the British Embassy to be allowed to travel there
to be with Simon and Michael!”
Back together, the family were able to get stuck into their new life in rural France. “In Sidcup, we were living in a three-bed semi and busy running our micropub, the Hopper’s Hut, and of course looking after the children,” said Simon. “Before the pub, we’d worked long hours in our respective jobs, which is what led us to start working for ourselves. But still we never felt like we were really happy with our lifestyle in the UK. Our way of life now is so much better, especially for the children.”
Hatched from a holiday!
It was a family holiday back in April 2019 that triggered the Tippetts’ move to France, somewhere they’d always enjoyed visiting. They noticed that the property opposite the gîte they were renting near the village of Argenton-les-Vallées area was for sale – it was tired but had land, outbuildings and was on the market for just €110,000. They began hatching a plan for making a new life there, running a microbrewery with Rebecca’s parents.
“In August that year we went back to look at the property with Tracey and Michael, who had agreed to sell their home in Rochester to put towards the move,” continued Simon. “It got the thumbs up,
so we went home to think about things. By October and without even considering any other properties, we began negotiations with the vendor, agreeing on a purchase price of €76,000, after starting with an offer of €50,000!
“Because we’re not quite in the popular Loire area, although we’re just 10 minutes from the edge of it, prices are lower here. We got the keys on 4th February and the hard work began!”
With around 2.75 acres of land and a small lake, the property includes the main farmhouse (longère) and several outbuildings. Barely habitable and with just three-bedrooms when they became the new owners, they’ve since converted the house into a seven bedroom property that works neatly as two independent dwellings, each with a kitchen and living rooms.
“We live in the larger four-bedroom half, and Tracey and Michael are in the three-bedroom half,” said Simon. “There are
a total of 24 rooms and to date we’ve finished restoring 21 of them! Together, Michael and I stripped the place right back to just the bare walls and roof rafters. Michael has done all the electrics too and we got in a plumber and roofer when needed. We’ve also converted one of the barns into our microbrewery. In total, we’ve spent around £120,000 on building work.”
Off to a flying start
The Tippetts’ impressive 500-square-metre house also includes a library and wine cave. The family has grown too – they have ducks, chickens and a small herd of goats in the garden! Meanwhile, the brewery, completely family-run and called
Au P’tit Brasseur D’Argentonnay, has taken off beyond their expectations after opening in July 2020.
“You think of French people preferring wine, but
our beers have been really well received by the locals, who are especially keen on the stouts and dark beers,” said Simon.
“Currently we’re making between 400 and 600 litres a week, which is a mix of English, French
and American beer. One of our most popular is
our mango pale ale. You can buy our beer in local shops and supermarkets, at the weekly market in Argenton-les-Vallés, our nearest village, and we even do collection from our front gate! Naturally, we’re sending some back to our pub in Sidcup, where we have a manager in place.
“And we also accept commissions to produce bespoke beer for clients with their own label.
In fact, we’re doing this for the nearby Château Fort de l’Ebaupinay, which holds an annual medieval festival and has featured on the TV series ‘Escape to the Château’.”
With the business up and running, work on the house almost done and the children all settled at the local French school and enjoying their new life, surely it’s time to think about kicking back a bit?
“Not a chance,” said Rebecca. “Our next project is producing our own gin, which we are launching in June (2021). And we’re converting another of our barns into a shop selling local produce and artisanal products, including our beer. Opening date, yet to be confirmed!”
To learn more about Au P’tit Brasseur D’Argentonnay, click here.
The Tippetts starred in Channel 4’s ‘A New Life in the Sun’ series and are also featured on Rightmove Overseas.
