What started out as hobby has now turned into a ‘fully-fledged business’ for a Kidderminster beer enthusiast.

Daniel Lawson runs Copper Beech Brewing Company from his garden shed in Aggborough, offering a selection of craft beers, all with a story behind each one.

The 35-year-old, who is also a performance manager for the West Midlands Combined Authority said: “All our beers are based on stories for example ‘I left my heart in NYC’ me and my wife Samantha spent New Years Eve there and its one of our best holidays.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Dan Lawson started the microbrewery as a hobby.Dan Lawson started the microbrewery as a hobby.

“Another beer ‘Birdie’ is a nod to Kidderminster Harriers and my father-in-law John who loves golf.

“It was a hobby for two or three years, until I was looking to transfer jobs last March. I had already built the shed at the bottom of garden, I thought I could do something with it if I did not find another job. I luckily found another job and still built the brewery. It has just snowballed from there." 

Daniel’s wife Samantha runs the social media and marketing aspects of the business, Daniel’s mother-in-law is in charge of finances and his father-in-law is in charge of the engineering.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Every craft beer has a story behind the name.Every craft beer has a story behind the name.

Daniel added: “It’s an expensive hobby and I couldn’t drink all the beer myself so now the hobby pays for itself.

“I have always worked in high pressure jobs for many years. I suffer with anxiety and depression because of that, and I needed a hobby to cope with it. I was sat in The Weavers Pub in Kidderminster and they have a diagram of how to brew beer on the wall and I took inspiration from that.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Dan brews beer from his garden shed. Dan brews beer from his garden shed.

“We deliver all the beer for free as part of our ‘deliver with difference’ initiative. We ask customers instead to donate items to a local food bank.

“I have always been involved in charity work and events so want to use the brand to do better and to do charity work.”

Copper Beech Brewing Company was recently a finalist at the 2021 SIBA business awards for best concept design.