Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster) Ltd Square Tin

Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster) Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s.

The Old Brewery Origins

The Old Brewery was established as the Backhouse & Hartley Brewery, Tadcaster, in 1757.
In 1847 John Smith purchased the Old Brewery.
Smith's timing was fortuitous as Pale Ales were displacing Porter as the public's most popular style of beer, and Tadcaster's hard water was perfect for brewing these ales. The prosperity of the 1850s and 1860s, together with the arrival of the railways, enabled John Smith to steadily expand his business.
In 1873 he purchased a piece of land on which he built a brewery of considerable grandeur.
Sadly John Smith died in 1879 and he did not see the completion of his magnificent brewery on High Street, which opened in 1883.

John Smith's Death Splits the Business

On his death, John Smith left his personal estate in equal shares to his brothers Samuel and William.
Samuel continued to run the Old Brewery, whilst William took over the running of the larger brewery next door.
Under the terms of John's will, the Old Brewery would pass to the heirs of his brothers.
William was unmarried and had no descendants, so as soon as his own brewery was complete, he transferred the stock, equipment and trade name from the the old brewery to the new one.
When William died in 1886, his nephew Samuel Smith inherited an almost empty building. William's other nephews, Henry Herbert Riley and Frank Riley inherited the new brewery.

The Success of Samuel Smith

Such was the buoyancy of the brewing trade at that time, that Samuel was able to re-equip the Old Brewery and run it as a competitor of the established John Smith's. Both continued to flourish.
In 1923 the Company was registered as Samuel Smith Old Brewery Ltd.
Throughout the 20th century Samuel Smiths traded successfully but remained a much smaller Company than its neighbour.
The Company is now the oldest brewer in Yorkshire operating over 200 public houses including rural, suburban, inner-city, and city-centre establishments.
The firm has retained its shire horses which still deliver beer in and around Tadcaster.
Samuel Smiths distributes its bottled beers to the USA and Norway.
Managing Director, Humphrey Smith, continues to court controversy due to his frugal branding strategy, and treatment of his landlords and customers.
The Company is still brewing independently.

The manufacturer's mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road, London. S.W.19. 4480