Humphrey Smith, traditionalist, brewery titan and the most eccentric North Yorkshire businessman of his age, has died. We think.
The news was broken by the British Pubs Facebook page at 11.39am this morning.
It reported: “An absolute titan of the British brewing world has passed away. Humphrey Smith, the famously traditionalist and eccentric owner of Yorkshire’s Samuel Smith’s Brewery, has died.”
No one at the brewery was able to confirm his death when contacted by YorkMix. The York Press says a member of staff said it was true when they got through by phone, but there has been no official confirmation.
A reclusive and frugal figure, as rarely photographed as Banksy, it seems Mr Smith died as he lived – surrounded by rumour and mystery.
According to Wikipedia, he was 81.
Nick Love, York Camra Pub Protection Officer, told YorkMix: “There’s no doubt that in recent years Humphrey Smith was a controversial figure that divided opinion – but if you look at his overall contribution to Britain’s pub and brewing scene, Samuel Smith’s beers and their collection of historic pubs are a force for good that are a vital resource within many communities.
“There is no doubt that his son Samuel Smith who takes over the mantle has a big job to do to bring many of their pubs back into public use with rules more reflective of current times and set the brewery on a course for 21st century success.”
The Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery in Tadcaster claims to be the oldest brewery in the world, dating back to 1758.
Mr Smith ran it in the most traditional way possible, even using horses to deliver beer to some of its pubs.
He banned music, televisions and smartphones from his pubs. Mr Smith would make unannounced visits to pubs and if he was displeased by what he experienced, things could quickly turn unpleasant.
There were numerous reports of tenant managers of Sam Smith’s pubs being summarily thrown out of the business and their home due to a supposed infringement of one of the long list of rules.
Many Sam Smith’s pubs have remained empty for months and even years due to the difficulty in finding managers who would conform to these strange management methods. These include The York Arms, in a prime position next to York Minster.
However, the standard of the beer remained high, and the prices low. And many of those who worked for Humphrey Smith have today paid tribute to someone they described as a “gentleman”.
Mr Smith was not only a controversial figure in the way he ran his pubs. The brewery owns large parts of Tadcaster. A number of its properties remain unoccupied and some townsfolk have complained that the business management have contributed to the decline of the town.
When a bridge over the River Wharfe in Tadcaster was washed away by the floods of December 2015, the brewery opposed the construction of a temporary bridge on its land.
Mr Smith was a frugal recluse given to acts of kindness. He grew up in Oxton Hall, Oxton, and lived there for much of his life, in a single room for many years.
He was educated at Eton then joined the family business. His father Geoffrey died when Humphrey was 20, and he and brother Oliver were in full control by the 1980s, according to The Guardian.
British Pubs said this on Facebook: “Love him or hate him for his strict rules – banning smartphones, tablets, music, and even swearing – he ran his pubs entirely his own way to preserve the classic, tech-free British Pubs experience.
“Whether you cherished the peace or found the rules baffling, there is no denying his massive impact on our pub heritage.”
Humphrey Smith had a wife and two children.
