Humphrey Smith (businessman)

Humphrey Smith
Born	(1944-12-17) December 17, 1944 Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England
Alma mater	Eton College
Occupation(s)	Businessman, brewer
Known for	Owner of Samuel Smith Old Brewery
Spouse	Julia
Children	2

Humphrey Richard Woollcombe Smith (born 17 December 1944) is a British businessman and brewer, 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. 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.

Early life and education

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

Career

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 gradually assumed control, taking full charge by the early 1980s.

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. His brewery maintains traditional practices, including the use of dray horses for some beer deliveries. His management has been characterised as highly controlling, with Smith known to personally visit pubs to enforce company rules, occasionally resulting in immediate closures. On one occasion, a pub in Sheffield was closed after it failed to serve his preferred dessert.

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. Smith's brewery has faced criticism from the GMB trade union over its treatment of managers. In 2022, former managers won a constructive dismissal case against his company, with the judge raising concerns about its workplace culture.

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.

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. He has been reported to walk long distances to avoid taxi fares, and for opting for a bus pass instead of driving.

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.