Humphrey Smith (businessman)

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Humphrey Smith
Humphrey Richard Woollcombe Smith.jpg
Born (1944-12-17) December 17, 1944 (age 80)
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England
Alma mater Eton College
Occupation(s)Businessman, brewer
Known forOwner of Samuel Smith Old Brewery
SpouseJulia
Children2

Humphrey Richard Woollcombe Smith [1] (born 17 December 1944) is a British businessman and brewer, best known as the owner and chairman of Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. The brewery, established in 1758, claims to be Yorkshire's oldest brewery and operates over 200 pubs across the United Kingdom. [2] His wealth has been estimated to range from £750 million to several billion pounds, though exact figures are difficult to determine due to the private nature of the business. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Smith was born and raised in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. He grew up at Oxton Hall, [4] a Queen Anne-style estate [5] acquired by his grandfather in 1919. Smith attended Eton College from 1958 to 1963. [3]

Career

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, Tadcaster Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, Tadcaster (22nd December 2013) 008.JPG
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, Tadcaster

After leaving Eton, Smith worked with his father, Geoffrey, at the family business. In May 1965, when Humphrey was 20, his father died and for a few years, the brewery was managed by executors and solicitors before Humphrey and his younger brother Oliver [6] gradually assumed control, taking full charge by the early 1980s. [7]

Management style, controversies and philanthropy

Humphrey Smith is known for his unconventional management style at Samuel Smith Brewery and its pubs. He has implemented policies such as banning music, television, mobile devices, and children in the company’s pubs. [8] [9] His brewery maintains traditional practices, including the use of dray horses for some beer deliveries. [10] His management has been characterised as highly controlling, with Smith known to personally visit pubs to enforce company rules, occasionally resulting in immediate closures. [11] [12] [13] [14] On one occasion, a pub in Sheffield was closed after it failed to serve his preferred dessert. [15]

Criticism has also been directed at Smith’s management of the brewery’s property portfolio, particularly in Tadcaster, where many Samuel Smith-owned pubs and residential properties remain unoccupied. Some have suggested that this approach has contributed to the decline of the local high street. [16] [3] Smith's brewery has faced criticism from the GMB trade union over its treatment of managers. [17] In 2022, former managers won a constructive dismissal case against his company, with the judge raising concerns about its workplace culture. [18]

Smith’s philanthropic contributions include funding the construction of the Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool, which opened in 1994 on brewery land. In 1995 the brewery also undertook the restoration of the 14th-century Old Vicarage, surpassing English Heritage standards. Despite these efforts, the Old Vicarage has remained unoccupied since its renovation. [19]

Personal life and views

Smith is known for his reclusive and frugal nature. He lives with his wife, Julia, at Oxton Hall. The couple has been married for approximately 40 years and have two children: a daughter named Maude, who runs a homeware label in London, and a son named Samuel, who manages the brewery's pubs in London. [20] He has been reported to walk long distances to avoid taxi fares, and for opting for a bus pass instead of driving. [3]

He holds conservative Christian views that include opposition to premarital sex and divorce. Smith's beliefs are reported to be influenced by his maternal grandfather, who served as the bishop of Selby. [3]

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References

  1. "Humphrey Richard Woollcombe SMITH personal appointments". gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  2. "Samuel Smith's brewery has no truck with track and trace | News | The…". archive.is. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Humphrey's world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain's strangest pub chain". The Guardian. 2024-12-19. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  4. "The beer baron recluse and the trouble brewing for Sam Smith pubs". archive.is. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  5. YORKSHIRE, WEST RIDING. THE OXTON HALL ESTATE, TADCASTER. 1919-07-15.
  6. Editor, Patrick Hosking, Financial (2018-04-24). "Secretive brewery boss is charged by pensions watchdog". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "Humphrey's world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain's strangest pub chain". The Guardian. 2024-12-19. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  8. Coman, Julian (2020-01-19). "My old pub has banned mobiles. I cherish the return of tranquility". The Observer. ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  9. "Pub slammed for introducing bizarre set of rules for customers - or they're banned". 7NEWS. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  10. "Horse-drawn cart delivers beer to pubs ahead of reopening". York Press. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  11. "Brewery boss shuts down brand new pub after hearing customer swearing". The Independent. 2020-12-17. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  12. "Samuel Smith's pub in Bradford closes suddenly". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  13. "Mystery as popular Samuel Smith's pub and hotel in Leeds suddenly closes". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  14. Port, Samuel (2024-08-20). "Leeds pub which shut suddenly looking for new 'management couple'". Leeds Live. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  15. "Brewery boss shuts down Sheffield pub after 'not serving his favourite dessert'". The Star. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  16. Himelfield, David (2024-08-18). "'Strangest' town in Yorkshire split between upmarket and crumbling buildings". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  17. "Samuel Smith pub chain bans swearing at all its establishments 'becau…". archive.is. 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  18. "Groom v Samuel Smith Old Brewery - Constructive dismissal: Unlawful deductions | HR-inform Pro". app.croneri.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  19. "The beer baron recluse and the trouble brewing for Sam Smith pubs". archive.is. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  20. "The beer baron recluse and the trouble brewing for Sam Smith pubs". archive.is. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.