Sam Smith’s brewery boss Humphrey Smith dies aged 81

There have also been many reports over the years of managers being summarily dismissed, often due to alleged violations of brewery-imposed rules.

Some of the company’s bars are often closed in a short time and in some cases are left empty for many years.

Last year, The Abbey, a Samuel Smith pub in Derby, closed abruptly with a handwritten note on the door saying the brewery owner was unhappy with his photos being shared online.

Multiple sources told the BBC that the landlords were informed by the brewery that they had breached policies and were immediately dismissed.

In 2024, The Shoulder of Mutton in central Bradford also closed unexpectedly, with the brewery refusing to share why.

At the time, Bradford’s CAMRA branch secretary Kate Ahern said the closure was part of a “pattern” of unexplained losses of Samuel Smith’s licensed premises.

Samuel Smith Old Brewery has caused a stir once again after cyclists were banned from entering The Royal Oak in Ulley, near Rotherham.

The punters, who were greeted by a staff member in the parking lot, said, ‘I can’t serve you, we banned bicycles.’