John Smith's
Our History
About Us
We champion everyday, ordinary folks that are actually anything but. Because we know, just like our beer, they are "Only Ordinary By Name".
The Tadcaster brewery was founded
March 1824
John Smith was born
On the 18th March 1824 something remarkable happened and the world would never be the same again: John Smith was born.
Even from an early age, John Smith showed that he was "Only Ordinary by Name"
As a toddler, John Smith was walking on his hands while other kids were barely crawling.
March 1831
Origami animals
At 7 years old, John was creating elaborate origami animals for his friends. They marveled at his creations and quickly grew tired of their unimaginative toys.
An explosive education
John attended university at 13 where he conducted a bizarre looking chemical experiment in front of his fellow, much older, students. The experiment resulted in a spectacular explosion that earned applause from his peers.
March 1842
Flights of fancy
On his 18th birthday John dabbled with flight by attempting to fly a prototype steam powered helicopter. It barely left the ground, but still got the British Aerospace industry up and running.
June 1852
John Smith's beer
At 21, John tried his first pint and was inspired
Having bought his own brewery in the Tadcaster, John set to experimenting and refining the process until he finally arrived at his greatest and most enduring achievement: John Smith's beer.
John then put his name on the family gate and history was made.
