Samuel Smith

Location:          Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England 

Website:          Samuel Smith's

                       Samuel Smith's entry in the Directory of UK Real Ale Brewers

Founded in 1758, the Old Brewery in Tadcaster is the oldest in Yorkshire and is still a fiercely independent name. It still uses the age old Yorkshire Square method of fermentation in stone squares, the last brewery to do so. Samuel's son John took over the brewery in 1852 but left soon afterwards to set up his own brewery, John Smith's, which he ran in competition to Samuel Smith's, which was now in the hands of John's cousins. Unlike John Smith's which is now a national brand owned by a multination company, Scottish & Newcastle, Samuel Smith's seems to go ever further in remaining a traditional brewery. It still delivers its products by dray horse to its pubs located near to the brewery, it removed all branding from its pubs in order that they keep their character and still sells its beer (all of which is approved by the vegan society) in multiple-trip bottles in beer crates.