Humphrey Smith, the notoriously strict brewery boss who banned mobile phones, music and bad language from his pubs, has died aged 81.
The former chairman of Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery was one of the most controversial figures in the British pub trade.
To admirers, he was a determined guardian of the traditional public house – protecting historic interiors and the lost art of conversation from the relentless march of smartphones and fruit machines.
To critics, he was an uncompromising and sometimes fearsome figure whose rigid rules left some landlords terrified.
Smith, who was born on December 17, 1944, headed the family brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, which traces its history back to 1758 and claims to be Yorkshire’s oldest.
Under his leadership, Samuel Smith’s grew into one of Britain’s most distinctive pub companies, operating more than 200 establishments across the country.
Many occupy handsome historic buildings and retain traditional features including open fires, wooden panelling and Victorian fittings.
But it was the extraordinary list of things Smith refused to tolerate that made his pubs famous far beyond North Yorkshire.
Humphrey Smith (pictured), the notoriously strict brewery boss who banned mobile phones, music and bad language from his pubs, has reportedly died aged 81
Pictured is the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, where Mr Smith ran his 200-pub strong chain
Mr Smith (pictured) who was born on December 17, 1944, headed the family brewery in Tadcaster which traces its history back to 1758 and claims to be Yorkshire’s oldest
Smartphones were forbidden, as were laptops, televisions, music and fruit machines. Dogs, muddy boots and children were also unwelcome in many premises.
Swearing could lead to drinkers being thrown out – and landlords could reportedly find themselves out of a job if Smith believed they had failed to enforce his rules.
Smith was known for making unannounced visits to pubs across the country to ensure managers were maintaining his exacting standards.
One of the most notorious incidents came in 2019, when he reportedly overheard a customer tell a joke containing a swear word at the Fox and Goose in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.
The pub’s landlords, Eric and Tracey Lowery, had been running the premises for just seven weeks when they found themselves without their jobs – or the flat above the pub.
At the Cow and Calf in Sheffield, manager Louise Brownhill and her husband Steve claimed they were dismissed after Smith discovered his preferred dessert was not in stock (a chocolate fondant).
Mrs Brownhill said the couple had been unable to stock the dessert because the brewery had not provided them with a freezer.
At an employment tribunal involving two former Edinburgh pub managers, Smith was characterised by a judge as ‘combative and argumentative’.
Employment judge Murdo Macleod said Smith appeared dismissive of the proceedings and gave the impression that they were either ‘a waste of his valuable time or beneath him’.
Yet the formidable reputation contrasted sharply with the unassuming figure regularly seen walking through Tadcaster in tweed and wellington boots, often carrying a worn towel as he made his way to the local swimming pool.
Despite presiding over a valuable brewing and property empire, Smith was not known for displays of personal extravagance.
Residents said he gave up driving not a Ferrari or Rolls-Royce, but a modest Austin Allegro.
Pictured: The Princess Louise pub on High Holborn in Central London – a Samuel Smith’s pub
Pictured: A coaster in one of the Sam Smith pub’s which encourages people to talk – and bans devices
In later life he was said to travel by public bus, sometimes appearing unexpectedly at distant pubs with a portfolio tucked under his arm.
His habitual lunchtime swim took him past many of the empty shops, boarded-up houses and closed pubs that made him such a divisive figure in his home town.
Smith was reported to control as much as 70 per cent of Tadcaster’s commercial property through the brewery and associated interests.
Locals variously described him as the town’s ‘laird’ and a ‘Dickensian figure’ who inspired fierce loyalty and equally fierce resentment.
Critics accused him of allowing properties to deteriorate while refusing to let large chains occupy his buildings.
They argued that his control over land and commercial premises had prevented new homes, restaurants and businesses from coming to the town.
Smith’s relationship with Tadcaster came under intense scrutiny after the historic bridge over the River Wharfe collapsed during devastating floods in 2015.
Residents were initially forced to make a lengthy diversion between the two halves of the town.
Smith reportedly refused to allow brewery-owned land to be used for a temporary footbridge unless he was given input into the permanent replacement.
A temporary crossing was eventually erected on council-owned land, while the road bridge was later rebuilt following intervention by then-prime minister David Cameron.
Cllr Richard Sweeting said Tadcaster was ‘in mourning’ over the death of Mr Smith, who had been unwell for some time.
Cllr Sweeting, the town mayor, said: ‘It’s the end of an era. Mr Smith has been part of Tadcaster for many years and has done a lot for this town.
‘But he wasn’t one for publicity. He would like to do things behind the scenes. We wouldn’t have a lot of the facilities in the town if it wasn’t for Mr Smith and the brewery.
‘I knew Mr Smith extremely well. There was one thing he did have. He did have the town at heart. He was a Tadcaster person.
‘I have known him all my life and his mother. He has done a lot for the church and the community. To me, he’s just Mr Smith. They do a lot of unseen things.
‘Talking to people in the town, Tadcaster is in mourning. It’s the end of an era. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this sad time.’
Tadcaster is known for its three breweries. John Smith’s was set up by members of the same Smith family in the 19th century, though it has long been separate from Sam Smith’s and now part of Heineken.
Molson Coors also has a plant in the town, where ‘Spanish’ beer Madri is brewed.
Companies House records show Smith resigned as a director of Samuel Smith Old Brewery on June 17, 2026.
News of his death was first reported by York Press, which said it had received a verbal confirmation of his passing over the phone from the notoriously media-averse brewery.
The British Pubs Facebook site posted: ‘An absolute titan of the British brewing world has passed away. Humphrey Smith, the famously traditionalist and eccentric owner of Yorkshire’s Samuel Smith’s Brewery, has died.’
The post continued: ‘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.’
You must be logged in to post a comment Login