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I’m getting behind with my posts again, although I shan’tbore you with what’s been keeping me from blogging. I’m part way through awrite up of last Fridays’ day at the seaside, aka a day out in Hastings withWest Kent CAMRA, but with six pubs involved, there’s a fair amount of detail toplod through. Instead, I want to reflect briefly on the passing at the ageof 81, of Humphrey Smith, the owner of Tadcaster-based, Samuel Smith's OldBrewery. A controversial and divisive figure, in many respects, but alsosomeone who steered this staunchly traditional, family business, through thetroubled waters of the late 20th and early 21stcenturies. Those who have been through these times, in my case since the mid1970’s, will be aware of the many changes that have occurred in the drink’strade during this period.
Whilst organisations, such as CAMRA, might have welcomedsome of these changes, with hindsight the introduction of the 1989 Beer Orders,caused serious damage to the drinks trade. The most damaging aspect of thislegislation, however well-intentioned, it might have been, was the removal ofthe link between pubs and breweries, effectively turning the pub trade on itshead. In the minds of many older drinkers, such as me and my contemporaries,the Beer Orders destroyed the pub trade we remember, and replaced it with anincreasingly cut-throat, dog-eat-dog race to the bottom.
None of these changes had much effect on Samuel Smith’s,which was established in 1758, in the North Yorkshire town of Tadcaster. It isby far, the smallest of the three breweries based in the town, owning just 200pubs. It is also an unlimited company, which permits it to maintain financialprivacy, as well as allowing the directors to keep a tightly controlled familygrip on the business.Because of its relatively small size Samuel Smiths remainedlargely unaffected by legislation such as the Beer Orders, but that didn’t meanthat when Humphrey took over the business, in the 1980’s, he didn’t bring inany changes. First and foremost, of these, was turning tenants into managers,directly employed by the brewery, a move which enabled the business to dictate the policiesit has become well known for.
With regard to these, people tend to remember the more controversial edicts, suchas banning television, the use of mobile phones, and also swearing in Samuel Smith pubs, but as the company website states, their outlets remain as "Havensfrom the digital world", where conversation and interaction with othercustomers is actively encouraged. Policies that few pub lovers could raiseserious objections to (unless one is trying to find the time of that last busor train home).
What is rather more concerning, is the often-arbitrary wayin which quite a few Sam Smith’s pubs have been closed, seemingly on the whimof the brewery’s late owner. An online search will reveal further details,although some sources estimate the number to be just over half of the company’stied estate of houses. Following Humphrey’s passing, it would be nice to see atleast some of these outlets re-opening, especially in locations such as smallvillages, where communities have been left pub-less.
We shall have to see what happens, but as far ascontinuation is concerned, the London estate is already being run by Humphrey’sson, Sam. The rules still exist in the capital but apparently are applied farless rigorously. I admit to taking photos in several of Sam’s London pubs, eventhough I did so discretely, just in case! As others have pointed out, usingmobiles for finding out bus and train times, will probably get the OK, but I amin complete agreement that noisy phone conversations, or sharing You Tube videosshould remain on the “naughty list” and rightly so. Commentators, such as Tandleman, whose own excellent review you can read here, have suggested that ad hoc sackings and closures will becomea thing of the past, and pubs will be able to attract managers more easily. Furthermore,many of the closed pubs will re-open, and as TM suggests, young Sam will notthrow out what makes the company’s pubs different and will definitely be keepingthe best bits.
A final, précised piece from York CAMRA, Humphrey was a man withmany quirks - but we'd do well not to forget that he presided over a familybrewery that produces exceptional real ale and craft keg beers at veryaffordable prices and an estate of pubs that provide a huge social impactwithin their communities”.
"He leaves his son Samuel both a legacy on which tobuild but also a huge challenge in reopening many of their pubs that arecurrently closed and bringing some of their more arcane operational rules backinto the 21st Century!"
For my part, I shall continue visiting the company’s London pubs,whenever I am in the capital, and the same applies to other towns and citieswhere Sam’s have a pub or two. In the meantime, it’s a question of “watch thisspace.” Footnote: If I can stretch my memory back far enough, I mightinclude a short piece about how, I lived just five minutes’ walk away from a longvanished, Sam Smith’s pub in the Lower Kersal area of Salford. This was back inmy student days, and I’m pretty certain that the Old Brewery Bitter, dispensed from metered, electric pumps, was brewery-conditioned, “bright beer” rather thancask. I shall need to do some backtracking on this, but I believe the pub was called, thePrince of Wales.
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