Archive record · Brewery
John Smith's Brewery
Tadcaster, England, England, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1852
- Archive ID
- TB-7JS301MM
- Last checked
- 2026-09-13
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- John Smith's BreweryThis brewery
- Heineken N.V.Conglomerate
From the record
Summary
John Smith bought the brewery in 1852; new brewery opened 1883 and remains operational.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Ownership & corporate history
- Acquired by Courage1970
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (tray SUB-00012); no held claim preceded it. John Smith's became part of the Courage group in 1970.
- Controlled by Scottish & Newcastle plc1995 – April 2008
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (tray SUB-00012); no held claim preceded it. S&N bought Courage in 1995.
- Acquired by Heineken N.V.April 2008
What the sources say
Researched 2026-09-13 (tray SUB-00012); no held claim preceded it. Heineken took S&N's UK business in the Carlsberg/Heineken consortium takeover; the Tadcaster brewery operates as Heineken UK.
Ownership history is kept as dated events, so a change of owner never overwrites the one before it.
The People
Behind the beer
The Beer Library
Beers
Show your working
Sources
- recordProbable
Brewery record from Tally's UK master, Pass 147. John Smith bought the brewery in 1852; new brewery opened 1883 and remains operational.
Tally's UK master, Pass 147 — Wales public lists, thin beers, photo rights · Tally's Beer Universe research workbook · 2026
CommercialMedium reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-21Claim last checked 2026-08-21
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about John Smith's Brewery
- Who owns John Smith's Brewery?
- John Smith's Brewery is owned by Heineken N.V.. John Smith's Brewery is based in Tadcaster, England, United Kingdom.
- Is John Smith's Brewery still independent?
- No. John Smith's Brewery is owned by Heineken N.V. and is no longer independent.
- When was John Smith's Brewery founded?
- John Smith's Brewery was founded in 1852 in Tadcaster, England, United Kingdom.
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