John Smith‘s

John Smith is a name that is about as common in England as Peter Müller or Lisa Schmidt in Germany. So it's not a unique selling point, but if someone has a good idea, then their name doesn't matter.

And John Smith had a good idea: he bought a brewery to brew his own beer.

Newcastle Brown Ale

The history of the Tadcaster Brewery is like that of most others in England. John Smith's was also founded in the 19th century and soon became very popular. What sets it apart from other breweries today, however, is the Newcastle Brown Ale that is brewed here. This classic English ale is not just a box office hit in England: it is one of the most popular beers worldwide. The top-fermented beer is a cult classic that even gave rise to an old English saying. "To see a man about a dog" means nothing other than disappearing into the nearest pub for a beer. While a German man "goes out with his (imaginary) dog", an Englishman goes to see a man about a dog. "The dog" has since been the affectionate nickname for Newcastle Brown Ale, which is so good that we even sell it as a whole package .

Spectacularly unspectacular

When John Smith was born in 1824, no one could have imagined that he would one day achieve something extraordinary. This boy with the extremely ordinary name was unusual from the start. When other children his age had started crawling, John began walking on his hands. At the age of seven, he was making elaborate origami animals for his friends and at the incredible age of 13 he was already attending university, where he impressed his fellow students with his outstanding achievements. He also flew the prototype of a steam-powered helicopter - sounds incredible? It is. All of these crazy facts about brewery founder John Smith are exactly what they seem to be: legends. With a wink, the Tadcaster Brewery talks about its founding father John Smith and comes to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether the boy with the common name was special or not. After all, he can take credit for founding a brewery that has now been around for more than 150 years.

To the unusually ordinary John Smith!