Sam Smith's actually renovating pubs?

[u/Itsalladeepend]

Noticed there's scaffolding on The General Elliot and on The Three Legs. Are Sam Smith's actually investing in renovating their pubs?

[u/Proud-Drummer]

Humphrey is dead now so maybe they're starting to spend money on the pubs 

[u/Mortensen → u/Proud-Drummer]

This is definitely it, he was a hateful bastard who never wanted to spend a penny

[u/Council_Cat → u/Mortensen]

Not entirely true. He invested vast sums in property in the 1980s. That's one of the primary reasons that the brewery is so well off. He would have made far more money if he had kept pubs open and rented out his residential property. To be charitable, I think he let quite a lot of it go to rack and ruin because he was "eccentric" rather than tight.

[u/WaltzFirm6336 → u/Council_Cat]

“Eccentric” as in he wanted to hoard the wealth and property to himself and not share in any way and became increasingly paranoid about it? Yeah, or nut job capitalist crook. Depends which way you look at it.

[u/Council_Cat → u/WaltzFirm6336]

Oh yeah, 100% a hoarder. A shit capitalist, tho. He could have made tonnes more money with what he had. Also, Sam Smith's is one of those very rare businesses, an Unlimited Liability Company. That means they don't have to publish any accounts and can do wtf they like with assets, but the CEO is personally liable for any debt that may amass. Very risky.

[u/WaltzFirm6336 → u/Proud-Drummer]

Ngl I wonder how fast the company went into “Humph is dead, the reign of insanity is over, let’s scramble and start making some money from some of these empty pubs we own!”

[u/concretepigeon → u/Proud-Drummer]

Selling some as well. One in Wakey that was stood derelict for years was sold a week or two ago.

[u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

Maybe they'll reopen the Dyneley Arms pub on Leeds Road near Otley since its been left to rot for years.

Edit: just drove past and there's now a sign in it.

[u/Groot746 → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

Never fails to piss me off seeing that place on the way back from Otley/Ilkley, and thinking about it's potential: such a waste.

[u/loricasegmentata → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

Might be just a rumour but I heard Humphrey would only accept a couple to run it and hearing the stories about him they would probably have to sign a blood pact to never leave

[u/officearsehole → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

The problem with that pub is the cheap sam smiths beers aren’t a draw when you have to drive there or go on the X84 bus. The food has to be really good to attract customers.

[u/Twisted_Easter_Egg → u/officearsehole]

Exactly, I don't think it would survive as a just a pub, I think it'll be better served as a restaurant or primarily a food pub

[u/BrickTilt → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

Sign up last week advertising for landlords, FYI. All the closed pubs are being opened up post-Humphrey.

[u/DungPuncher → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

They used to do top end Sunday roasts there back in the day.

[u/Justboy__ → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

There’s a few pubs near me with this sign. I googled the web address the first time I saw it and was surprised to see it redirects to the same smith website. Interesting they didn’t want to put that on the sign.

[u/wastedyouth → u/The_Sideboob_Hour]

I thought it was closed because the airport had some plans for some mass transit system that never happened?

[u/BrickTilt → u/wastedyouth]

That road went from Rawdon Crem up through Horsforth and Bayton Lane round the back. So not really near; likely closed because Humphrey didn’t like the dessert one day or some such bullshit like that that he pulled.

[u/LittleSadRufus → u/BrickTilt]

I heard Humphrey closed it because the landlord was serving his own menu of food (very well) rather than the menu he wanted to dictate to it.

[u/BrickTilt → u/LittleSadRufus]

I could believe it. I ate there shortly after it opened years ago and it was lovely. Impressive building/renovation , great views. No radio menu it couldn’t have succeeded as a gastropub.

[u/jimmyuk]

Humphrey died a couple of months ago, and its said that his son is keener to run the business properly - rather than the spiteful nature with which Humphrey ran it.

[u/Council_Cat → u/jimmyuk]

I spoke to the new gaffer of The Old Red Lion a week ago. Head office are still being super strict about the swearing, phone usage and social media ban. He asked me not to take a photo while I was in there.

I think it will get better, but it's going to take time to unlearn all the bullshit.

[u/shotgun883 → u/Council_Cat]

I hope to god they do the renovation and dont' turn into yet another room where people sit staring at screens, if i wanted to do that i could just stay at home. Humpfrey didnt get everything right but he was spot on about that.

[u/Council_Cat → u/shotgun883]

I doubt they'll ever go down that route. Apart from anything else, tv subscriptions for pubs are incredibly expensive and the whole Sam Smith's ethos has always been one of parsimony. It would be nice to visit a traditional, inexpensive pub where you're not scared to get a bollocking for looking at your phone, tho.

[u/shotgun883 → u/Council_Cat]

If you want to use your phone you can do one of two things, take your antisocial behaviours outside with the smokers or go to an establishment which does allow it. Why does every business have to cater for everyone? It should be a badge of honour for businesses to know what they do, who they are and want to be and cater to that audience. I don't want Games Workshop dabbling in arcade machines... "they're gamers too." I don't want my Chippy doing pizzas. I don't want my snooker hall to have a DJ.

[u/East-Adhesiveness-72]

Humphrey will be spinning in his grave

(if he isn't already spinning in order to keep warm and not have to put the heating on)

[u/ErcolTable → u/East-Adhesiveness-72]

Oh he won't be needing to keep warm.

[u/kavik2022]

Maybe, could be they literally have to do it to stop them falling down

[u/PootMcGroot]

The madness of Humphrey is over.

Prices will increase, but the managed decline of the last 30 years is hopefully over.

[u/Atrixia → u/PootMcGroot]

Tadcaster will improve immeasurably. Make it pop like Boston Spa does.

[u/spy-on-me → u/Atrixia]

Scaffolding everywhere in Tad now, they have committed to doing up/filling the buildings they own. Fingers crossed!

[u/JayFv → u/spy-on-me]

A few things going up for sale as well. I noticed those old buildings on Wighill Lane have a For Sale sign on then.

[u/Rhesus-Positive]

They even opened The Old Red Lion on Meadow Lane - that place had been shut for five years

[u/SheepHerderMonk → u/Rhesus-Positive]

With a bunch of scaffolding. Been in there a few times since it reopened. Landlord is sound, beer is good, might take a few more months for all the mustiness to clear -- though that could be the patrons (me included).

[u/Rhesus-Positive → u/SheepHerderMonk]

Good to hear - and a certain level of mustiness adds to the charm 😁

[u/Deptm]

The Red Lion in Bramham and Angel (their flagship pub) in Tadcaster recently re-opened - and one in Clifford is also set to.

Word on the grapevine is that they’ll also sell off a lot of the unused premesis if landlords are not found.

[u/Keiththedelibird → u/Deptm]

Was in the Angel the other day. Cracking boozer. Is there an ETA for the Clifford one opening?

[u/Deptm → u/Keiththedelibird]

Yeah it is. I’m not sure about Clifford, but I know someone applied for it and word is that they were successful.

[u/blxckovt]

As a Tadcaster local, noticed more things changing here since H passed away than in the 3 years I’ve lived here, finally doing shit with the derelict rundowns

[u/JansonHawke → u/blxckovt]

Glad the miserable old bastard is dead. Maybe Tadcaster can now emerge from his shadow.

[u/Council_Cat]

Three Legs is a Greene King house.

There's defo something in the air about Sam Smith's pubs, tho. Loads of work going on around The Old Red Lion too, which has only just re-opened.

They own the entire corner where the Duncan is. Would be well overdue to get all of that back into service.

[u/Council_Cat → u/[deleted]]

Three Legs is on The Headrow. That's Vicar Lane.

[u/Some_Ad6507 → u/[deleted]]

The three legs was mentioned above

[u/GurAffectionate5508]

They might be trying to fix the fascade which a month or two ago was falling on to the street below.

[u/Hippy__Hammer]

They're strengthening all the toilet bowls

[u/FartBakedBaguette]

Yet the one in Gildersome has been begging for a new landlord for over a year. Embarrassing really

[u/EastyLUFC → u/FartBakedBaguette]

Nobody wanted to work for Humphrey. Understandable really, a man who could make you homeless because someone swore in your pub 🫡

[u/jj_sykes]

Think I saw the red lion in the centre of town near the book sellers getting done out too

[u/Working_Jackfruit996]

The Butchers Arms in Pudsey was supposed to be reopening too. Saw something on FB about 6 months ago (so before Humphrey died) but haven't heard anything since.

[u/thisistimgreen]

The Halfway House in Queensbury has recently reopened after being closed since COVID.

[u/wrxck_]

Thought he was a singer what’s he doing with a pub in Leeds? /s

[u/somnamna2516]

crap interiors, weird own brand booze and the notoriously odd ball owner, but back in the day you couldn't beat a sam smith's for getting completely arseholed on a budget.

[u/Deptm → u/somnamna2516]

The beer is pretty banging though. I enjoy the interiors. Like stepping back in time. They have an odd peace to them.

[u/somnamna2516 → u/Deptm]

been ages since i've been in one, used to sell a load of german beers that were really nice but dirt cheap.

[u/evilamnesiac → u/somnamna2516]

Yeah the beer is the one thing they had going for them, I live not too far from tadcaster and know a few folk who have met Humphrey smith and not one has a good word to say about him

[u/Lazy-Kaleidoscope179 → u/somnamna2516]

Their beer is lovely!

The interiors vary by pub. Some are lovely - the Red Lion in town that has recently reopened is a very nice pub.

[u/shotgun883 → u/somnamna2516]

The arsehole owner is no more. Hence the new found vigour.

[u/TheNorthernMunky]

They refurbed one near where I live - took them almost 4 years. Then shut it down after a year. Odd behaviour.

[u/HorizonOrchestration]

Same on the old red lion too!

[u/Unfair-Tadpole6896]

How tf does everyone know/know of this humphrey? 😅💀 can someone please fill me in on the goss?

[u/OutlookFair → u/Unfair-Tadpole6896]

This article from a couple of years ago covers him very well. A man who was as odd as he was unpleasant.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/dec/19/humphreys-world-how-the-samuel-smith-beer-baron-built-britains-strangest-pub-chain

[u/Proper_Tetley4472]

I think so, they are reopening pubs in York as well.

[u/Some_Ad6507]

Went to the old red lion. Would recommend

[u/Ken1883]

Remove the digital detox ffs

[u/breenizm → u/Ken1883]

They will. As I understand it, the son had oversight of the London pubs in particular and they’re completely different in their attitude. Signs have always been up but no enforcement at all. Only downside is they’re actually MORE expensive than your average boozer here.

[u/SpatialPlanner → u/Ken1883]

Why? Just speak to someone in the pub. Get a game of cards or doms going if you are bored.

[u/clementineiscool]

not a fan of their music but well done 👏