I’d been self-employed for almost 20 years as a management consultant working on large IT / business improvement projects, often away from home, and thought “Do I really want to do this for the rest of my life?”. 

I’d found the enjoyment had gone out of work and, having been diagnosed with cancer in 2017, I decided to focus on doing something I’ve loved for over 15 years, something that would also enable me to be (mostly) home with the family each night – brewing!

I was given the all clear health wise but, in June 2018, I had the bad news that my illness had returned.  I pushed on with the establishment of the brewery, finding premises and an all new but tiny half bbl kit, brewing when I felt up to it, slotted in around 5 months of (successful) treatment.  It was frustrating as it has delayed my plans, but I intended to push on in 2019 with the purchase of a 5BBL Brewhouse.

With regards to the name – I’m a huge music fan, particularly anything guitar based and the heavier the better.  As well as being a biblical sea beast, Leviathan is an album by a band I love, Mastodon. It seemed an appropriate way to combine two things I love, and the branding and imagery seems to work very well!

Chris Hodgetts