Image source, York Press Image caption, Humphrey Smith ran the Samuel Smith brewery and pub business for decades By Tim Dale , Yorkshire and Emily Johnson , Yorkshire Published 1 July 2026, 11:26 BST Updated 2 hours ago Humphrey Smith, the owner of the Samuel Smith's brewing and pub business, has died aged 81, it has been confirmed. Established by his family in 1758, Smith had run the Samuel Smith Old Brewery since the 1980s. The firm also has about 200 pubs around the UK. The business, based in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, was known by many pubgoers for its eccentric rules including banning mobile phones, music, televisions and swearing at their sites. Tadcaster's mayor Richard Sweeting described the notoriously publicity-shy businessman as a "true gentleman" and a "man of principle". The mayor said: "He hadn't been well for a little while but Mr Smith was a private man and it was kept quiet. "But it always is a shock when something actually happens and Tadcaster is in mourning." Image source, PA Media Image caption, The brewery delivered beer to some local pubs by horse-drawn cart. This image was shot as pubs began re-opening after the coronavirus lockdowns in 2020 Sweeting said that the flag on the town centre brewery was being flown at half-mast in tribute to Smith. "The one thing people are saying is that it is the end of an era and it's true because you often saw him walking through the town," he added. "I've known him all my life and he's a respected person. He's a true gentleman and he had Tadcaster at heart. "He's done many things in Tadcaster unseen that people don't know about. "There's a lot of amenities in Tadcaster that, if it wasn't for Mr Smith and the brewery, we wouldn't have. We've got a lot to thank him for." Image source, BBC/Fiona Callow Image caption, The Union flag at half-mast at the Tadcaster brewery The smallest of the three breweries based in Tadcaster, it is also an unlimited company which allows it to maintain financial privacy. Smith introduced many changes when he took control as chairman including turning tenants into managers, directly employed by the brewery. It enabled the business to dictate the policies it is known for and, as its website states, its pubs are "havens from the digital world". Sweeting said: "Mr Smith had his standards, Mr Smith had his reasons and a lot of people understood. "Mr Smith was also a man of principle and there would have been a reason for regulations in the pubs. "A lot of people were quite happy for those regulations because we respected him." Image caption, A sign stuck outside The Abbey pub says it closed due to images being posted online There have also been several reports over the years of managers being suddenly dismissed, often for alleged breaches of the rules the brewery imposed. A number of the firm's pubs have also been closed, often at short notice, and, in...
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