Two Yorkshire Sam Smith's pubs taken off market amid reopening hopes
Two Yorkshire pubs put up for sale by Sam Smith's have now been taken off the market in the hope they'll be reopened.
The Tadcaster brewery put 20 of its properties up for sale earlier this year, including 10 across Yorkshire.
Two of their venues, The Bull's Head in Tingley and The Eston Hotel in Eston, North Yorkshire, were among those initially listed.
The future of the two pubs appeared uncertain when their online listings disappeared - but both are now off the market and could be reopened as pubs, The Yorkshire Post has learned.
Estate agent Fleurets confirmed this week both venues have been withdrawn from sale.
The news came as campaigners warned that Sam Smith's sale of its Yorkshire pubs is 'shameful' - after the brewery insisted any purchaser cannot run some of them as pubs.
Sam Smith's has 167 pubs open across the UK, but underwent a change of leadership this summer when long-time owner and chairman Humphrey Smith passed away in June.
The brewery is now thought to be under the control of Humphrey's son, Samuel Smith, with a number of the firm's venues put up for sale in September.
While four Yorkshire properties have been sold without conditions on their use, four more in the region were listed with the strict condition that they're not allowed to be run as pubs.
The Wellington Inn in Knaresborough, listed for £325,000 with the 'non pub use only' condition, has been sold according to Fleuret's listing.
But CAMRA has warned that Sam Smith's non pub use only condition means any purchaser would face significant planning law hurdles.
Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in August mean purchasing pubs and turning them into flats or offices is now much harder.
The updated government framework requires developers to prove there's no reasonable prospect of keeping a pub trading before a change of use is approved.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council told The Yorkshire Post there havn't yet been any planning applications to change the use of The Wellington in Knaresborough, which closed in 2022.
The Moorhouse Inn in Leeds, which is listed as 'temporarily closed' online, was also put up for sale with an asking price of £175,000.
Estate agent Fleurets say the pub, which also had a 'non pub use only', has been sold.
Another Sam Smith's pub, the Abbey Inn in Guisborough, is still on the market with an asking price of £165,000 and has the same strict sale condition.
The four Sam Smith's pubs sold in Yorkshire recently with no restrictions on use are The Cross Keys in Stillingfleet, marketed for £475,000, the Engineers Arms in Higham, which was listed for £225,000, the Travellers Rest in Oughtibridge, listed for £180,000 and the Bath Hotel in Dewsbury, marketed for £175,000.
CAMRA's National Planning Adviser, Paul Ainsworth, who wrote to the brewery last month, said other pub operators should be given the chance to take on Sam Smith's buildings first.
He said: “Firstly, it is entirely shameful that Sam Smith’s, who claim to be a proud brewery with community focussed pubs, are resorting to these tactics. Secondly, we don’t see how this will possibly work with the new planning rules.
"Other pub operators need a fair shot at taking on these pubs first, or local people who want to explore community pub ownership."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed: "“Our planning policy clearly says that pubs which are up for sale must not be sold as another type of business, unless steps have been taken to market the property for its existing use without success for a period of at least a year – and councils can block the change in use if planning rules are not followed.”
Sam Smith's reopened 18 of its pubs in the summer, according to an updated national list.
The brewery is well-known for the strict rules it imposes on staff and customers, which includes bans on mobile phones, swearing and TVs.
The chain also bans children in its venues, in a move which split opinion amongst customers.
A spokesperson for Fleurets told The Yorkshire Post: "Samuel Smiths are currently reopening a number of community pubs around the north of England.
"The good which these pubs do for their local communities is often underestimated. There is a much smaller number of pubs which are no longer viable and are being sold."