The owner of Samuel Smith’s Brewery, known for its infamous strict rules, has died at the age of 81.
Humphrey Smith sat at the helm of the UK’s largest independent brewery and pub chain – established in 1758 – since the 1980s.
Mr Smith is perhaps best-known for upholding strict policies banning phones, music, and swearing in Samuel Smith’s 200 pubs.
In a tribute, The British Pubs Facebook site posted: ‘An absolute titan of the British brewing world has passed away.
‘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.
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‘Whether you cherished the peace or found the rules baffling, there is no denying his massive impact on our pub heritage.’
Meanwhile, Town Mayor of Tadcaster Richard Sweeting said: ‘Tadcaster is in mourning. It’s the end of an era. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this sad time.
‘I had a lot of respect for him. He knew me. He was a proper gentleman.’
Humphrey Smith’s legacy
Samuel Smith’s is known for its range of Yorkshire-made beers, sold in its tap houses up and down the country.
And while Mr Smith liked to keep to himself, his eccentric behaviour often landed him in the papers. He once closed one boozer down after seven weeks, after overhearing a customer saying ‘f***’.
The Fox & Goose in Worcestershire was closed seven weeks after opening when Mr Smith heard a swear word.
Last year, The Abbey in Derby announced its closure with a handwritten note placed on the door saying the owner was unhappy that photos of it had been shared online.
One anonymous landlord told the Guardian in 2017: ‘He walked into the pubs unannounced – he does this a lot – and found some people swearing. The managers were sacked on the spot.
‘After the sackings, we were told that there would be a nationwide no swearing policy.’
The brand also made headlines when bikers were barred from The Royal Oak in Ulley, near Rotherham.
Cyclists hoping to enjoy a cold one were met by a member of staff in the car park, who told them: ‘I can’t serve you, we’ve barred bikes’.
The brewery and the chain of pubs it spawned say the rules are inspired by George Orwell’s 1946 essay, The Moon Under Water, which tells of a perfect, quiet watering hole which had the ideal ‘atmosphere’ for regulars to talk.