Meet the Brewer: Our Journey from Hobby to Heritage at WH Brewery
Our Journey from Hobby to Heritage at WH Brewery
If you are here to learn more about WH Brewery, you are in the right place. This is the story of Windmill Hill Brewing Company, better known as WH Brewery: a proudly independent craft brewery based under the railway arches in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Our name and look are rooted in the local area, too. The WH Brewery logo takes its cue from Chesterton Windmill, one of Warwickshire’s best-known landmarks, and a reminder that we brew with one foot in tradition and the other in curiosity.
About WH Brewery in a sentence
WH Brewery exists to make beers that uphold traditional values while using our scientific know-how to keep improving flavour, balance and consistency. That has been the thread from the earliest batches right through to what we pour today in the WH Brewery Taproom.
How a hobby turned into WH Brewery
Like many good things, WH Brewery began with homebrewing and a stubborn desire to get the next brew just a bit better than the last. The shift from “weekend hobby” to a real brewery meant building routines, tightening quality control, and learning how to scale without losing the character that made those early beers exciting.
WH Brewery was founded by Gavin Leach and Robert Singleton in 2017, driven by a love of craft beer and a background in biological sciences and industry experience, with experimentation sitting right at the heart of the work. If there is a WH Brewery hallmark, it is that blend of craft and careful process, chasing the beer we have in our heads until it finally arrives in the glass.
Brewing under the arches, with freedom to experiment
Being independent matters to WH Brewery because it gives us the freedom to brew what we believe in. We have a core range, and we bring in seasonal beers alongside it, keeping things fresh while staying true to the styles we love.
Meet the people behind WH Brewery
WH Brewery is a small team, which is exactly how we like it. It keeps things personal, from brewing decisions to the way we welcome people through the doors.
Gavin Leach is WH Brewery’s Director and Brewer, and the person behind the day-to-day brewing obsession. His favourite part is still experimentation, because even small changes in process can unlock something genuinely new.
Robert Singleton brings a proper food-lover’s perspective to WH Brewery, always thinking about how a beer drinks and how it pairs, not just how it tastes on a sip. That influence nudges us towards balance, drinkability and flavour that holds your interest without shouting.
Bethan Da Costa is the newest member of the brewing team, coming over from the taproom and working events. Bethan started to package products and learn more about the brewing process in 2025. In 2026, Bethan started a full 18-month brewing apprenticeship run by Nottingham University.
Ben Cowan has a background in emergency medical disaster relief as a humanitarian Project Manager. He has also worked as a graduate in hospitality at Bass Leisure Retail. Although born in Leamington, he worked for a decade in war zones abroad, before returning to the same postcode as WH Brewery. He believes passionately in brewing local beer and building communities of local producers; coining our phrase, Think Local. Drink Local. Ben opened the Taproom as Manager in March 2025, and has created a successful event venue where you can ‘drink where the magic happens’.
In 2024, WH Brewery also became a Taproom and event space, giving people a place to drink our beer right where it is brewed.
The WH Brewery Taproom: the easiest way to get to know us
The WH Brewery Taproom was created for simple pleasures: a pint with friends, a relaxed catch-up, and that moment when you find a beer you did not expect to love. You can check the latest details on our Brewery Taproom page. WH Brewery opening hours are Thursday 18:00 to 23:00, Friday 17:00 to 23:00, Saturday 13:00 to 23:00, and Sunday 13:00 to 20:00.
If you are planning your first visit, WH Brewery is based at Victoria Business Centre on Neilston Street in Leamington Spa. Directions are linked directly from the Taproom page, and it is an easy walk from the station if you are coming by train.
If you want to browse beers for home, WH Brewery also runs an online shop, and the Taproom page points you straight to ordering.
WH Brewery tours and tastings, straight from the source
If you want the full “meet the brewer” experience, WH Brewery runs brewery tours and tasting sessions led by one of our brewers. The tour is designed to walk you through the process from start to finish while you taste the beers brewed on site.
On the WH Brewery tour page, we explain what is included, alongside location details and booking.
Recognition that matters to us
We never brew for trophies, but we are proud that WH Brewery has been recognised with awards from both SIBA and CAMRA. It is reassuring when organisations that care deeply about independent brewing and real ale spot the quality in what you are doing.
Local values, brewed in
“Think Local, Drink Local” is not a slogan WH Brewery uses lightly. For us, local means brewing in Leamington Spa, welcoming our neighbours into the Taproom, and building something that feels like it belongs under these arches.
It also means doing the serious bits properly. Commercial brewing in the UK comes with clear rules around duty and approvals, and every independent brewery has to take that side of the work seriously as it grows.
Quick answers for anyone new to WH Brewery
Where is WH Brewery?
WH Brewery is based under the railway arches in Royal Leamington Spa, at Victoria Business Centre on Neilston Street. The easiest route is to use the directions link on the WH Brewery Taproom page.
When is the WH Brewery Taproom open?
At the time this was updated, WH Brewery opens Thursday 18:00 to 23:00, Friday 17:00 to 23:00, Saturday 13:00 to 23:00, and Sunday 13:00 to 20:00. Always double-check the Taproom page in case of seasonal changes.
Do you run WH Brewery tours?
Yes. WH Brewery offers brewer-led tours with a tasting element, and full details and booking are on the Brewery Tours page.
Why the windmill branding?
The WH Brewery logo is derived from Chesterton Windmill, a landmark in Warwickshire built in the 1630s and recognised as one of the county’s most famous sights.
If you only remember one thing about WH Brewery
WH Brewery started with a hobby and grew into a heritage-minded local brewery without losing the experimental spirit that made it fun in the first place. If you fancy meeting us properly, the best next step is a pint in the WH Brewery Taproom, or a tour where you can see how we brew and taste along the way.