800 Sam Smiths pubs?

[ian]

Was told today that Sam's have about 800 pubs in Britain.  If so DarkieBoy as a lot of work to do.

ian.

[DarkieBoy]

Was told today that Sam's have about 800 pubs in Britain.  If so DarkieBoy as a lot of work to do.

ian.

Thanks Ian! What was your source of this, can I ask?  If you don't want to say, then can you PM me?

DB.

[ian]

It was a manager and he said it was no secret.

ian

[ian]

What I don't get is,  on here you get posters who say that there work for Sam Smith's.  Now if that is true why don't they just tell us how many there is?

ian.

[357maddog]

Thats because even if you work for them you still have no more information than the ordinary man on the street.

Having worked for them and been a devoted fan of their products for around 38 years I can safely say that its pretty much always been the same, its always second hand information, they are without doubt the strangest company you will ever come across.

One day it will make an absolutely fascinating documentary.

[ian]

It sounds like the mushroom theory.

Kept in the dark and fed a load of bullsh*t.

ian.

[bigjim]

Well I guess given the history so far, it would be unwise to dismiss such a claim outright, but I have to say that if it is indeed true, it raises a whole lot of other questions, not least concerning the supply chain from Tadcaster. It also means that the back-of-envelope estimation of the Smith family wealth would dramatically increase from my suggestion of ?850 million. Also, is it really feasible to effectively hide another 500 pubs? Despite our and others concerted efforts, we've taken about 2 years to move from 100 to 300 which sort of makes me think we're approaching the end. How widespread is this rumoured figure of 800?   

[passedit]

On the training course years ago with Mike Walker & Gwin Brown (good training  personel) they told us Sams had about 380 pubs which coming from them I would believe.800 seems rather high,anyway good hunting.

[ian]

Who know's it might be a "red herring" thrown in for a joke.  But he did seam helpful by telling me of some out off the way pubs.  But we did have them all on the pub map.

ian.

[DarkieBoy]

Could well be, Ian.  There are currently 304 pubs on my map (sorry, you'll have to get new t-shirts printed).

800 pubs seem an incredibly high figure.  I would put it at more than 350 and less than 400.  This matches the 380 that has been given as a figure by someone previously.  I think that I might be able to find another 20 or so in the near future, but it is getting harder and harder to find them.

Thinking of the 800 pubs, it may be that the number includes pubs that are shut/boarded up and be a somewhat historic figure and a compounded figure.

Who knows?  Well, Humphrey does!!

DB.

[DarkieBoy]

Found this from 1983 on http://www.darlocamra.org.uk/DarlingtonDrinker167.html

?SAMUEL Smith?s are turning their only Darlington house, the Casanova Bar in Stonebridge (formerly the Pheasant, and before that called the Glittering Star), back into ?an ordinary traditional pub? after a 15-month flirtation with leotards, loud music and lager.

We?re waiting to hear from the Tadcaster family firm whether this will mean the return to town after four years of the admired cask version of Old Brewery Biter. In many Sam Smith's pubs this is still selling at only 50 pence a pint!?

Darlington Drinker 9, January 1983

This is suggesting that the pub was leased out.  Could it be that there are still a great deal of leased/tenanted pubs out there that we don't know of?  Does anyone know of any?

DB.

[ian]

When I was in the Crows Nest some of the drinkers told me there used to be 2 if not 3 more Sam Smith's pubs in Cleethorpes but there was closed down.

ian.

[DarkieBoy]

When I was in the Crows Nest some of the drinkers told me there used to be 2 if not 3 more Sam Smith's pubs in Cleethorpes but there was closed down.

ian.

I used to live in the Cleethorpes area for seven years between 1993 and 1999 and have no recollection of any Samuel Smith's pubs.

DB.

[ian]

I think maybe before your time BD.  They said something about a big pub on the seafront.

I'll have to start taking a tape recorder out will me.  I could say I'm from local radio.   

ian

[DarkieBoy]

I think maybe before your time BD.  They said something about a big pub on the seafront.

I'll have to start taking a tape recorder out will me.  I could say I'm from local radio.   

ian

A fairly large pub on the sea front was demolished to make way for flats in the last few years...think it might have been "Queens" or similar.  Another one opposite where I lived burnt down...that was the "Leaking Boot", formerly "Darlie's"....but never sold Samuel Smith's beer while I was there.

DB.