Humphrey Smith (businessman)
Humphrey Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 December 1944 Tadcaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 29 June 2026 (aged 81) |
| Alma mater | Eton College |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Owner of Samuel Smith Old Brewery |
| Spouse |
Julia Gladstone (m. 1985) |
| Children | 2 |
Humphrey Smith (17 December 1944 – 29 June 2026) was a British businessman and brewer, who was the owner and chairman of Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. The brewery, established in 1758, claims to be Yorkshire's oldest brewery and operates over 200 pubs across the United Kingdom.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Smith was born in Tadcaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 17 December 1944. He grew up at Oxton Hall,[2] a Queen Anne-style estate[3] acquired by his grandfather in 1919. Smith attended Eton College from 1958 to 1963.[4]
Career
[edit]_008.JPG)
After leaving Eton, Smith worked with his father, Geoffrey, at the family business. In May 1965, when Humphrey was 20, his father died and for a few years, the brewery was managed by executors and solicitors before Humphrey and his younger brother Oliver[5] gradually assumed control, taking full charge by the early 1980s.[6]
Management style, controversies and philanthropy
[edit]Humphrey Smith was known for his unconventional management style at Samuel Smith Brewery and its pubs. He implemented policies such as banning music, television, mobile devices, and children in the company's pubs.[7][8] His brewery maintains traditional practices, including the use of dray horses for some beer deliveries.[9] His management was characterised as highly controlling, with Smith known to personally visit pubs to enforce company rules, occasionally resulting in immediate closures.[10][11][12][13] On one occasion, a pub in Sheffield was closed after it failed to serve his preferred dessert.[14]
Criticism was also directed at Smith's management of the brewery's property portfolio, particularly in Tadcaster, where many Samuel Smith-owned pubs and residential properties remain unoccupied. Some have suggested that this approach has contributed to the decline of the local high street.[15][4] Smith's brewery faced criticism from the GMB trade union over its treatment of managers.[16] In 2022, former managers won a constructive dismissal case against his company, with the judge raising concerns about its workplace culture.[17]
Smith's philanthropic contributions included funding the construction of the Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool, which opened in 1994 on brewery land. In 1995 the brewery also undertook the restoration of the 14th-century Old Vicarage, surpassing English Heritage standards. Despite these efforts, the Old Vicarage has remained unoccupied since its renovation.[2]
Personal life, views and death
[edit]Smith was known for his reclusive and frugal nature. He lived with his wife, Julia, at Oxton Hall in North Yorkshire. The couple were married in June 1985,[18] and had two children, a daughter and a son.[2] He was reported to walk long distances to avoid taxi fares, and to opt for a bus pass instead of driving.[4]
Smith held conservative Christian views, reportedly influenced by his maternal grandfather, who served as the Bishop of Selby.[4] He died on 29 June 2026, aged 81.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Samuel Smith's brewery has no truck with track and trace". The Times. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- 1 2 3 "The beer baron recluse and the trouble brewing for Sam Smith pubs". The Times. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ The Oxton Hall Estate, Tadcaster. 15 July 1919.
- 1 2 3 4 "Humphrey's world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain's strangest pub chain". The Guardian. 19 December 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Hosking, Patrick (24 April 2018). "Secretive brewery boss is charged by pensions watchdog". The Times. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Humphrey's world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain's strangest pub chain". The Guardian. 19 December 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Coman, Julian (19 January 2020). "My old pub has banned mobiles. I cherish the return of tranquility". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Pub slammed for introducing bizarre set of rules for customers – or they're banned". 7NEWS. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Horse-drawn cart delivers beer to pubs ahead of reopening". York Press. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Brewery boss shuts down brand new pub after hearing customer swearing". The Independent. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Heslett, Charles (25 September 2024). "Samuel Smith's pub in city centre closes suddenly". BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Mystery as popular Samuel Smith's pub and hotel in Leeds suddenly closes". Yorkshire Evening Post. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Port, Samuel (20 August 2024). "Leeds pub which shut suddenly looking for new 'management couple'". LeedsLive. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Brewery boss shuts down Sheffield pub after 'not serving his favourite dessert'". The Star. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Himelfield, David (18 August 2024). "'Strangest' town in Yorkshire split between upmarket and crumbling buildings". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Bryan, Kenza (18 January 2018). "Samuel Smith pub chain bans swearing at all its establishments 'because boss hates bad language'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ "Groom v Samuel Smith Old Brewery – Constructive dismissal: Unlawful deductions". CIPD HR-inform Pro. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ↑ Dewar, Peter Beauclerk (2001). Burkes Landed Gentry of Great Britain – The Kingdom in Scotland, 19th ed. – volume 1. Wilmington, Delaware, USA: Burke's Peerage and Gentry LLC.
- ↑ Greenwood, Darren (30 June 2026). "'Absolute titan' of British brewing Humphrey Smith dies aged 81". York Press. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ Dale, Tim; Johnson, Emily (1 July 2026). "Brewery boss who banned phones and swearing from pubs dies aged 81". BBC News. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
