Meet the Brewer: Weatheroak Hill

Weatheroak Hill Brewery was established in 2008 and brews on the site of the Coach & Horses pub which is a few miles outside of Alvechurch. The pub itself was once owned by the Cadbury family, and its past forty-five years has been down to the hard work of Phil and Sheila Meads and their family of three generations. Head brewer Rob Walker has a great passion for brewing.  He’s been a home brewer for nine years and has also brewed at Ambridge in Inkberrow and at the Black Tap’s one barrel plant in Redditch. Rob began brewing at Weatheroak Hill in February and produces seasonal specials alongside six core beers at the six-barrel plant. He uses a large variety of world-grown hops such as Cascade and Warrior to brew Dark Mild, Icknield Pale Ale, and Gold. One of Rob’s regular beers, Cofton Common (4.9%), is based on a lager recipe and uses an ale yeast at low temperature with Vienna malts and a German hop named Tettnang. He loves to experiment and has produced some fantastic seasonal specials including a Halloween-themed mild fused with rum and orange (Afraid of the Dark 4.2%) and a coffee-flavoured mild named Espresso Italiano. Weatheroak Hill’s Christmas beer will be a pale ale brewed with a New Zealand hop named Sticklebract. Rob brews weekly for the Coach & Horses and also brews for the free trade on request. Bottling has also begun at Weatheroak Hill and are on sale at the pub and Rob hopes to get them into local shops in time for Christmas.