I've a love/hate thing with Samuel Smith pubs. Good beer & prices, nice buildings (though often Disneyfied). But I can't use a laptop in one alone, they've kicked out gays for kissing, & bar staff have told me they're rotten to work for.
This excellent piece helps explain why - the batshit owner:
@theguardian.comHumphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain
theguardian.com
Humphrey’s world: how the Samuel Smith beer baron built Britain’s strangest pub chain
Since the 1970s, Humphrey Smith has acquired scores of pubs and historic properties around the UK. But time after time, he has left the buildings empty. Why has he allowed his empire to moulder?
In early September 2022, Alivia Bienko and her husband,…
