When the partnership ended, and after spells brewing for other people, Rob set up his own brewery, called Dark Star (he had retained the rights) in the basement of the Evening Star in Brighton. He created a pale ale called Hophead (3.8% ABV), brewed with Amarillo and Cascade hops. The effect that this beer had on the trade cannot be underestimated. With the help of Mark Tranter, whom he met at the Evening Star, Rob expanded first to a site at Ansty and then to a purpose-built brewery at Partridge Green that had a capacity of 20,000 barrels a year. Several other beers were added, such as the award-winning American Pale Ale and my particular favourite, Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rob left Dark Star before Fuller\u2019s acquired the company in 2018. Fuller\u2019s appeared happy to leave them to operate independently until they themselves were taken over by the Japanese brewer Asahi in 2022. One of Asahi\u2019s first actions was to close the Partridge Green site. Happily, Mark Tranter, who by then had worked for Dark Star for 17 years, kept the spirit going by founding the Burning Sky brewery at Firle in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rob had decided to become a publican and acquired the Duke of Wellington in Shoreham-by-Sea (BN43 6RE). He turned the pub around, greatly increased its beer range and held regular festivals. His plans to brew at the pub never came to fruition but he did establish close ties with Downlands brewery in Small Dole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is difficult to know what to say about Humphrey Smith<\/strong>, the chairman of Samuel Smith\u2019s Old Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire. One Facebook<\/em> post described him as \u2018An absolute titan of the British brewing world\u2019<\/em>. I suspect that not everyone will be so kind. Another source described him as a \u2018Christian traditionalist\u2019, very much influenced by his grandfather who had been Bishop of Selby. He kept his and his company\u2019s affairs very private. In 1982 he took the unusual step of changing its status to an \u2018unlimited company\u2019, which means that while its owners became personally and fully liable for any company debts, the company was no longer required to publish its financial accounts. The company produced as much of its stock (soft drinks, crisps, etc) as possible in house so as not to have to buy them from other suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n Humphrey is, of course, best known for the rules that governed his pubs. Mobile \u2018phones and similar devices are banned and no music allowed. There is a certain irony that most people would have learned of his death on their mobile ‘phones. Foul language is particularly frowned upon. The business was his and he ran it – and its pubs – his way; take it or leave it. Many people approved. There were questions over his employment practices and the management of the company’s estate, with a large number of pubs being kept empty, but that never troubled him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was reported at the end of 2024 that Humphrey was retiring and that his son, Samuel, was taking over as chairman. This seems never to come about but presumably will do so now. For some years, Samuel has been running their London pubs as a separate entity from the main estate and has not enforced his father’s rules quite so stringently. We send him our condolences and wish him well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/d1rhhiro4gd9il.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/2026\/06\/49753\/conversions\/media-libraryAn4BkM-large.jpg\")
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