Oxford drinkers could be allowed to swear and text again

The Three Goats Head, owned by the Samuel Smith Old Brewery, followed the rules set by the company including family-friendly language, no dogs, and no laptop or mobile phone usage.

The pub was opened in 1987 having been converted from a pizza restaurant (and thought to have previously been a corn merchants).

It is the chain’s only establishment in Oxford and could now be set for a change following the death of Humphrey Smith, who ran the brewery.

Humphrey Smith, of Sam Smith’s Brewery at Tadcaster (Image: Newsquest)

Humphrey Smith, who was 81, ran the Samuel Smith Old Brewery in the North Yorkshire town of Tadcaster since he was 18, in 1963.

Established in 1758, the business operates about 200 pubs spread across the UK and proudly only stocks its own products.

Despite being rarely seen in public, Mr Smith gained a reputation for turning up at pubs and enforcing this traditional culture among his customers.

The Three Goat’s Head in Oxford Sam Smith’s only pub in Oxford was opened in 1987 having been converted from a pizza restaurant (and thought to have previously been a corn merchants).

Any managers – the brewery refused to call its pub operators ‘landlords’ – who were caught flouting the commands faced instant ejection.

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Tadcaster Brewery (Image: Staff)

One anecdote shared in the brewery industry told of a manager losing their pub, and their home, after being caught breaking Smith’s strict standards on beer measurements in a pint glass. Too little froth was the crime, it was said.

A pub in Droitwich Spa was reportedly closed after Smith overheard a drinker using the f-word, and in Sheffield he ordered the closure of a pub after a chocolate fondant on the dessert menu could not be ordered.

A 15th century abbey in Derby that was operating as a pub under the brewery was suddenly closed last year with the chain stating someone had posted pictures of the inside on social media, meaning they broke the no phones rule.

Tadcaster Brewery entrance (Image: Newsquest)

The brewery also faced severe criticism after it refused a temporary footbridge to be built in Tadcaster on its land following the devastating boxing day floods in 2016.

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The Campaign for Real Ale estimates that around 200 have closed, but an equal number are still open, many featuring the old-fashioned tenets of 1960s public houses, from polished wooden tables and leather bar stools to painted pictures on the walls.

Some of the prices even go back a few years, ranging from £2.80 for a pint of dark mild to £4 for a pint of stout, The Independent discovered.

But the low prices come under the condition that punters submit to Smith’s law.