A farewell to a bygone era, and a welcome to a new one

I’m getting behind with my posts again, although I shan’t bore you with what’s been keeping me from blogging. I’m part way through a write up of last Fridays’ day at the seaside, aka a day out in Hastings with West Kent CAMRA, but with six pubs involved, there’s a fair amount of detail to plod through.

Instead, I want to reflect briefly on the passing at the age of 81, of Humphrey Smith, the owner of Tadcaster-based, Samuel Smith's Old Brewery. A controversial and divisive figure, in many respects, but also someone who steered this staunchly traditional, family business, through the troubled waters of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries. Those who have been through these times, in my case since the mid 1970’s, will be aware of the many changes that have occurred in the drink’s trade during this period.

Whilst organisations, such as CAMRA, might have welcomed some of these changes, with hindsight the introduction of the 1989 Beer Orders, caused serious damage to the drinks trade. The most damaging aspect of this legislation, however well-intentioned, it might have been, was the removal of the link between pubs and breweries, effectively turning the pub trade on its head. 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 an increasingly 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 is by far, the smallest of the three breweries based in the town, owning just 200 pubs. It is also an unlimited company, which permits it to maintain financial privacy, as well as allowing the directors to keep a tightly controlled family grip on the business.

Because of its relatively small size Samuel Smiths remained largely unaffected by legislation such as the Beer Orders, but that didn’t mean that when Humphrey took over the business, in the 1980’s, he didn’t bring in any 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 policies it has become well known for.

With regard to these, people tend to remember the more controversial edicts, such as banning television, the use of mobile phones, and also swearing in Samuel Smith pubs, but as the company website states, their outlets remain as "Havens from the digital world", where conversation and interaction with other customers is actively encouraged. Policies that few pub lovers could raise serious objections to (unless one is trying to find the time of that last bus or train home).

What is rather more concerning, is the often-arbitrary way in which quite a few Sam Smith’s pubs have been closed, seemingly on the whim of 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’s tied estate of houses. Following Humphrey’s passing, it would be nice to see at least some of these outlets re-opening, especially in locations such as small villages, where communities have been left pub-less.

We shall have to see what happens, but as far as continuation is concerned, the London estate is already being run by Humphrey’s son, Sam. The rules still exist in the capital but apparently are applied far less rigorously. I admit to taking photos in several of Sam’s London pubs, even though I did so discretely, just in case! As others have pointed out, using mobiles for finding out bus and train times, will probably get the OK, but I am in complete agreement that noisy phone conversations, or sharing You Tube videos should 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 become a 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 not throw out what makes the company’s pubs different and will definitely be keeping the best bits.

A final, précised piece from York CAMRA,  Humphrey was a man  with many quirks - but we'd do well not to forget that he presided over a family brewery that produces exceptional real ale and craft keg beers at very affordable prices and an estate of pubs that provide a huge social impact within their communities”.

"He leaves his son Samuel both a legacy on which to build but also a huge challenge in reopening many of their pubs that are currently closed and bringing some of their more arcane operational rules back into 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 cities where Sam’s have a pub or two. In the meantime, it’s a question of “watch this space.”

Footnote: If I can stretch my memory back far enough, I might include a short piece about how, I lived just five minutes’ walk away from a long vanished, Sam Smith’s pub in the Lower Kersal area of Salford. This was back in my student days, and I’m pretty certain that the Old Brewery Bitter, dispensed from metered, electric pumps, was brewery-conditioned, “bright beer” rather than cask. I shall need to do some backtracking on this, but I believe the pub was called, the Prince of Wales.