Think Local, Drink Local: The story behind Warwickshire's thriving local brewery and taproom
Like Bill Gates and Bill and Ted, Gavin Leach began his successful business in his garage - Windmill Hill Brewery and Taproom.
In place of home PCs and garage bands, Gav started brewing, first in 40-litre homebrew kits in Radford Semele, selling to local social clubs in barrels, and then bottling up his work for local shops too.
The Chesterton Windmill, located on Windmill Hill Lane, ultimately inspired the brewery's name- although Gav never brewed inside the 17th-century windmill, which overlooks Fosse Way on the Roman road (people do ask!).
When the sails were taken down four years ago, Gav and Ben moved under the train arches to our urban industrial South Leamington, which is where Windmill Hill Brewery is located today.
The sails went back on at the Chesterton, and the brewery's fortunes have gone from strength to strength since!
Ben and Gav began their Windmill Hill journey with tours, tastings, running a brewery shop, and trying to break into the pub barrel market, but "it's hard to get local beer into tenanted local pubs!" as they both say.
Gav found that selling craft beer firstly to our barge bar and pizzeria, The Quarterdeck, opposite the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon; our Italian restaurant, Tavola; a Xmas shop in the Royal Priors, Leamington; and then opening a Taproom at the brewery - was the way to go.
Windmill Hill Brewery began featuring in the first Off The Rails events under the train arches in CV31 in 2023, along with BRUBL brewery, and Warwickshire Gin & Rum Company.
By 2024, the Taproom had opened and hosted six more beer, live music and street food festivals that really helped to put its industrial distilling and brewing vibes on the map.
Southbound has since joined with regular live music and food and soon there will be Crustowrthy pizza, a new cafe.
Meet Ben Cowan, the Taproom Manager
Ben said: "Who knows what more the future will bring to the arches that locals and visiting tourists love so much!"
In 2025, Ben and Gav have broken yet more ground, bringing more and more people to enjoy Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights outside to try some of the best beer that Leamington has to offer, and the biggest industrial beer gardens in town!
Windmill Hill has hosted comedy nights, immersive film experiences such as Bladerunner, La Haine, and JAWS, performance poetry with Warwick University, lots of live music, a rock festival called BREWSTOCK, and additional Off The Rails festivals.
Ben and Gav said: "Windmill Hill has found a niche that the public embrace, not only for regulars having after work drinks, but also as a party venue.
"The Taproom has hosted 20 or more so far this year, TripAdvisor and Google are filled with reviews saying how much hirers enjoy a uniquely relaxed and informal space where food can be brought in, bands booked, and good times had.
"What's great is that with so much outdoor seating, there is plenty of space for both regulars and the revellers to hang out together!"
Behind the brewing process with Gavin
What's next for Gav and Ben ?
Well, looking further into the second half of the summer, Windmill Hill has just launched a new beer, 'Double Spa'
Discussing the beer, Ben said: "Go deep, go DIPA, go to the source. It has a pineapple punch, and at 8.3% it packs a punch!
"We have re-branded our Session IPA to be 'Spa Town' Session IPA, so that people know we are local, when they enjoy it in a local pub or stockist."
There is also live music every week this month and brewery tours on the last Saturday of every month.
On Thursday 31 July from 7.30pm, Windmill Hill also hosted a quiz night in aid of Helping Hands, a community charity supporting vulnerable adults with a Leamington postcode, open to the public.
All in the works is live music and street food at the second Off The Rails on bank holiday weekend on Sunday 24 August 2025.
September sees the second BREWSTOCK music festival, plus Oktoberfest on the 20th showcasing some of Windmill Hill's German-style beers, and sausages…
Heading towards autumn, there will also be immersive film showings of Trainspotting in September, Apocalypse Now in October, and a secret Halloween-showing.
The lead up to Christmas gives opportunity for work colleagues and friends to organise festive parties in the Tap.
Once more we Windmill Hill will be opening its Christmas shop in the Royal Priors in November, ready for the present and partying buying rush along with all of its local producer friends, like Napton Cider, Warwickshire Gin & Rum Company, Sibling Cidery and Blaber Hall Wine Estate, who make it possible for the people of Leamington Spa to...THINK LOCAL, DRINK LOCAL.
Why not visit Windmill Hill Brewery for yourself? And head over to Victoria Business Park, Unit 14 Neilston St, in Leamington.
For more information visit the brewery's official website here.
Windmill Hill Brewery is a sponsor of Nub News. Support from local businesses such as them helps us keep our local news free and easy-to-read. If you own a local business and would like to sponsor us, get in touch at [email protected].
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