A railway engineer and self-proclaimed “weird dad” has packed in his 37-year career to brew and sell his own real ales from a taproom in Newport. Lee Dunning, 55, wound down his time travelling around the UK’s railways after realising his passion for home brewing when he bought a make-your-own kit from Wilkos for a beer-making festival with his friends.
His skills with the hops have gone from strength to strength ever since - so much so he opened the little taproom and brewery at Caerleon Road and quit his job this year. “It’s more of a passion than a business really,” Lee said while sifting through his mass of locally-produced ales behind his little bar with a beaming grin. “If I’m growing a business while doing it then that’s great.”
The Weird Dad name comes from his time coaching Llanyrafon Football Club’s youth team, where his son played as a teen. “He turned around one day and told me I was the weirdest dad there,” Lee laughed. “When I stopped and reflected on it, I think most kids think their dad is weird don’t they? I am into Dungeons and Dragons, and have been for 30 years. We’re actually having a Dungeons and Dragons night here soon. Is it weird? I think it’s not weird if that’s what you’re interested in. Maybe some people might think this is all a bit weird. We all have our quirks, and I like that. I thought the name was catchy and might resonate with people.”
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After trying his hand at home brewing Lee began running bars part time while working on the railways, and worked at The Dog House in Caerleon, where he said the overheads became expensive and there was “too much focus on entertainment” rather than good beer.
His current favourites are the roasted oatmeal Short and Stout, the 7.3% Belgian Poirot, and the Mines a Dark in the style of the old Brains Dark. He prides himself on selling as many locally-sourced ales as he can, which he changes around weekly in the tiny taproom and adjoining equally cosy brewery.
“I’ve been looking for a place like this in Newport for years where I can come and try beers I’ve never tasted before. I couldn’t find anywhere that had a real variety of beers changing all the time. That’s what this place is about - we very rarely have the same beer twice.”
As popularity in craft beers continues to grow, so do the wacky flavours. But Lee, who is originally from Neath, said there is a balance to be struck between changing things up and doing a traditional drink perfectly.
“I think it’s wonderful how popular it’s become. If I drank at all as a younger man I’d probably drink a lager. A pint of beer was for old men. There are a heck of a lot of people into craft beer now and trying to make it, and it’s a much easier drink than it was when I was young.
“Locally we’ve got Tiny Rebel that has been tremendous for that. It’s fantastic what they’ve done, but for me it’s a little too sweet at times. I think there is a line. I do a dark mild because people were mentioning they missed a really good one and that they rarely saw them anymore. Sometimes it’s about just doing a traditional beer really well.”
Lee is so proud of his time on the railways that he has had a mural painted beside the taproom by Abergavenny graffiti artist Frankie Winters which tells the story of his old and new life. He stands proudly in front of the mural - arms outstretched - for a picture. “This is what it’s about,” he said. “My philosophy in life is enjoy your job, whatever you’re doing. I loved my time on the railway and I love my life here. My life has never felt forced, I’ve been lucky in that respect.”
His engineering background is more closely linked to his new venture than you might expect. “I like to be creative and think outside the box a bit. I’ve spent my life trying to learn something new.
“I first started getting into beer-making when I bought a kit from Wilkos for a mini festival with my mates. I really enjoyed it, and then I got a kit bought for me for the next Christmas a few years ago. Then not long after that I started making it from scratch, and then bought a 20-litre vessel. My mates started asking why I was making better beer than them, but it’s all about the kit - and the flavours of course.”
It only takes a sip of his latest creations to see through his modesty. His years of training and the money he has invested in training courses is paying off and then some. “I just like that people are coming in now and enjoying the beer,” he continued. “It’s turned out to be the type of place I’d look for. The people it attracts are like-minded people - maybe not even overly into beer. But they’re normal, nice folk who want to come and have a drink and a chat.
“I loved home brewing because I liked sharing what I’d created with people. It’s funny how many friends you make when you brew your own beer. We enjoy the art of crafting a new drink and sharing it with new and old friends.
“What has been a really lovely surprise is how many people have met each other here and have become really close. We’re opening for a couple of hours on Christmas Day and some of them are then going off to have Christmas dinner together. One of the guys here is cooking for a few of them. That’s really great, it’s brought people together and that’s the nicest thing I could have wished to have happened - especially after people were locked away for so long.”
His “lockdown memorial wall” is the taproom’s main event. Coloured cans are piled high against the wall - all cans which he drank at home in lockdown while pondering his next adventure. “I wanted a bit of character,” he said. “I think we’ve achieved that. It’s nice when people say they like it.”
With competition high and prices through the roof, pessimists tell him he couldn’t have chosen a more tricky time to make his way in the industry. “It’s hard with the rises - people don’t think about things like cleaning solution for example, and then all of our ingredients as well. Malt has risen by 50%.
“My challenge is going to come in 2024. Sometimes you get lucky, and I did when I signed a fixed tariff in 2021. The electricity here is less expensive than my house. It’ll catch up with us in 2024, so we’ll see how we cope with that.”
He is putting those concerns to the back of his mind for now, and focusing all his efforts on his next concoction. Asked if he had any regrets over his bold career change, he replied: “I’d do it again, for sure. It’s far less money than I was on with the railways, but it’s a lot more fun.”
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