Mayfly Cafe at the Cob House in Malvern Hills

Arrived at Mayfly on 1/11/2024 , I was with a small group of friends out on a bike ride looking forward to visiting for the first time . We did a check before to find out serving times and so …… Joined a reasonable size Que as it was half term and to be expected now days at 11.40, thinking no problem for breakfast sandwiches which finish at 12 ….. The service was painfully slow with us getting to the till at 12.03 being told they had stopped serving breakfast !! You can imagine our joy plus the many people behind us …… MAYFLY … I’m sure this could have been done a lot better, with maybe one person telling you the situation as you join the Que … ???? After visiting many, and I really do mean many cafe’s in the area, this had to be the worse experience I’ve witnessed … A Return Visit ???????? Would you …. !

Haven't been for a while but visited today, not quite sure what's happened, the grounds were clean and tidy but the cafe was utterly dismal, weeds growing through the patio, green algae in the empty dogs water bowls, dead plants in the hanging baskets, just really tired and run down. Food mediocre as was the service, it's such a shame because it used to be lovely and it has so much potential. Someone needs to get a grip as it's certainly not being managed well at the moment.

Gone downhill since our last visit. I had the chilli chips with cheese and sour cream, no sour cream and most of the fries (not chips) were not cooked enough and were hard. The place looked tired and a bit grubby, not a pleasant experience. Only saving grace was that the coffees were good! Won't be returning.......

Excellent lunch and friendly service. Would highly recommend the all day breakfast. My friend had the loaded chilli fries which she said was great. It was very busy but the service was quick and polite.

Awful experience. 50 minutes to get 6 coffee and cakes. No gluten free options. Had to chase 2 coffees. Uncleared tables. 12 minutes waiting to place an order. Never again

Went as part of a cycling group. Service extremely slow. Waited 25 mins to order and a further 25 mins for the coffee to come. We also had to chase the coffee as they appeared to have lost the order. It was cold when it arrived too. Can’t understand what the issue is here as they have a lot of staff. The management needs to get their act together.

I've been several times to this fishery in the past without incident and have enjoyed the fishing. Now it would appear there is a new owner or fishery manager who I have to say, regrettably, is rude, officious and offensive. First occasion picked up my unhooking mat and weigh sling and threw them at me as 'not allowed as they bring disease in from other locations' OK acceptable, but the way I was spoken to was definitely not good customer service. Yesterday, similar. On arrival left my car to pay, same person approached and yelled 'Hey you're not parking there' Says I 'No, just going in to pay' Then having arrived at the peg I was approached by same person who snatched up my hand towel, 'You can't use that, brings in disease, you have to buy and use a towel from the shop' Every time you visit! I understand his reasons for trying to protect his stock but he has a horrible attitude, doubt I'll be back. Larford is nearer for me and a much better experience.

Previously loved this place. Unsure whether they've had a change of management but new front of house team who started mopping the floors from 3pm, which didn't create a very welcoming atmosphere. They had upturned the chairs on 3/4 of the tables and made it very clear the 20+ group fishing were to sit outside. When I asked if they were closing early I was told "no we just like to start tidying up so we can go home on time" - this was two hours before closing. Every customer who arrived after us asked the same question. Horrible vibe as though they wanted us to leave from when we arrived really. They don't obviously make any effort at recycling from what I can see.

Tables were lovely and clean. . Food was ok. Egg and cress sandwich was fairly tasteless due to the amount of mayonnaise which buried the fact there was any egg there. . Fair portion though . Coffees were delivered without any spoons or enquiries if any sweetener was required so as the spoons were not in same place as rest of cutlery we stirred our coffees with a fork which gave us the impression that the service was not important. As the food is quite expensive we probably wouldn’t visit again

Lovely cafe it was very quiet so ordered food & arrived very quickly. I had a lovely salad 🥗 and friend fish & chips. No badly priced.

50 minutes wait for food (no apology) that was inedible!! Ham was grey, slimy, gone off and smelt rank. the attempt to hide it under a greasy, broken fried egg was laughable, The quiche had spent far too long in the microwave and the crust was rock hard. The boiled potatoes were deep fried. The coleslaw was warm, suggesting it had been kept out of the fridge for some time. The tables and cutlery were filthy and we cleaned them ourselves using napkins. We asked to speak to the manager, after a while someone appeared and introduced herself as the "assistant manager". in between giggling with the other staff, she argued and said we were wrong, the ham was cooked only yesterday and offered to bring out a slice for us to inspect. I saw no purpose in looking at another rank piece of ham as we had just seen one at close range! We managed to get a refund, minus the drinks. Shockingly poor customer service, some training would be of great benefit. serious food health risk due to the gone off ham and filthy conditions, reported to FSA.

We visited yesterday with our 4year old granddaughter. We decided to stop for lunch. Our granddaughter went to play happily in the children's kitchen area while we found a table. Only a few were occupied so we had plenty of choice-none of which had been wiped after the dirty crocks had been removed. The staff were all very indifferent and not particularly friendly-I suggest they have some customer relations training. We waited an age for the food approx 45 mins from ordering but to be honest it hadn’t been worth waiting for. My husband had ham, egg and chips. The ham was full of fat and very chewy but had been topped by the fried egg which was swimming in fat. The child’s meal of fish fingers, peas and chips was ok, though the fish was rather grey. I ordered fries rather than chips but they were overcooked and were hard, fat clogged sticks totally inedible. I’m surprised food of this quality was thought acceptable to leave the kitchen. After the meal we went outside to the seating area. This was filthy and could have done with a good sweep to get rid of the dust, dried grasses and filth. We enjoyed walking around the grounds outside and looking at the animals and the play area. We last visited earlier in the year and it seems to have gone downhill ver quickly. Very neglected is how I’d describe it

Visited with 5 friends after a lovely walk at Martley. 4 of the group had dry, Victoria sponge . Which were finished before the drinks arrived . I ordered a ice coffee. I had expected a little more than tap water with half a spoon of coffee and a few ice cubes

Been a fairly frequent user of the Mayfly cafe for several years, mainly for breakfast which has always been pretty good. A recent visit though for breakfast with friends was just awful. Poorly crockery, cheap ingredients, only offered horrible scrambled eggs and overpriced.

Visited on Saturday in October 2021. No member of staff was wearing a mask, no protection at the counter, had to queque with lots of people not wearing masks, all very close. Lady next to me touched every item on the counter, and much of the food was not covered. Tables were not clean, and in the time there did not see a single table being sanitized. Paid just shy of £25 for burger and chips, and a baked potato with cheese. Awful price, and noisy, unclean place, with no covid security whatsoever.

Visited with a group of friends for breakfast and had a pleasant experience. The food was hot, fresh and tasty and the staff were friendly and efficient.

As a frequent visitor to the Cob House, primarily to use the fisheries, I have been extremely disappointed with our most recent visit. Now under new ownership there have been lots of recent changes, which is understandable. However one recent change has made the fishing near impossible. You can now only fish the pools using Cob House bait pellets, despite sweetcorn still being available in their shop. As a regular angler who I would describe as an inspired amateur, I would regularly catch and release between 20-40 fish a session using sweetcorn or luncheon meat. Using the Cob House pellets I managed zero fish and only one bite in a full day session. The bait pellets were near impossible to get on the hook, or even stay on the hook once in the water. You don't catch fish on an empty hook. I WILL NOT BE RETURNING IN THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few weeks back I had poached eggs on toast which came to me like hard boiled eggs on toast but we all make mistakes so went back today and got the kids half breakfast sandwich…..stale bread and rock hard bacon. I hate leaving poor reviews but hopefully they will up their game now.

It’s not bad and it’s not good. I had the full English and the bacon and beans were really dry from being cooked earlier and kept warm, I assume.The toast was tough as well, not sure if from stale bread, but it was hard to cut through.The rest of it was “okay”Ultimately the food isn’t going to make your heart sing and it’s certainly overpriced for what it is.Fortunately the food is offset by the location and the animals which are free to see.

My husband and I went for breakfast this morning. The waitress was lovely and the food was average. However the new owner was very offish, quite rude to be honest. The butter with our toast was runny, we had a slice of tomato, not even half. I think while the owner is walking around the cafe with his wellies on lol, he should concentrate on customer services. The new layout don’t work and the food is overpriced.

Fantastic breakfast in a great spot 10/10 service and excellent value. Good COVID practice with tables well spaced and cleaned.

it was nice to see reindeer and alpacas and goats luckily it was a nice hot day it is an amazing place

We are regulars at the Cob House but today wasn't one of the best visits, We chose to sit outside and all ordered food and drinks but when they finally arrived everyone's meals were spoiled by the ridiculous amount of wasps constantly landing on our food, there were bins extremely close to the tables which didn't help matters, we watched a number of other diners retreat inside due to the wasps but when we let a staff member know they just replied it was to be expected due to the time of year it was, I do understand that but when you pay for a meal you expect to be able to eat it, and enjoy it comfortably without constantly swatting wasps away. One of the smaller water areas had very little water in and a number of children wandered over to have a look, one child got stuck in the very boggy mud and lost a shoe completely sunken into the mud, I think it may be a good idea to have a sign of some kind up to deter children /adults from wandering around the area as its an accident waiting to happen, a member of staff had to retrieve the shoe for us, which we were grateful for. The food /drink orders took an absolute age to be brought to the table and it really didn't seem like there were enough staff for how many customers there were. We love the green space and animals at Cob House but hope it will be a better visit next time.

Came for breakfast this morning which would have been lovely if it wasn’t for a member or staff chipping away at the ice in the freezer - bang bang bang! Very annoying and it gave me a headache- why would you do this when you are open to the public? And surely turning the freezer off would be a better way to defrost it.... Also the children’s toy area is very grubby and the toys need a good clean! Proper germ fest.

It was a vey pleasant surprise to enjoy an impromptu stop at this venue for lunch.With a selection of hot food and sandwiches made to order the menu caters for all tastes including children.In addition to the interior of this venue it’s setting is delightful especially at this time of year with autumn colours abounding the whole estate.Will certainly visit again.

Called in for a coffee and cake as driving past. Coffee was reasonable and the cake nice, As others have said it is expensive compared to other similar establishments. This it seems is to subsidise free entry to the grounds.

We went for breakfast with my niece and her two young sons. Staff very friendly and attentive and food was OK but not brilliant. The sausages were a little odd.

Visited the cob house with my daughter for the first time last week.I have been past many times and always thought a place I must go.We were served by a lovely lady who asked what choice of sandwiches I wanted with my afternoon tea.Plenty to choose from so should suit everybody.We were served very quickly and I had a pot of coffee which had 4 good cups of coffee in it.The sandwiches were lovely the pulled pork was hot.Scone with cream and a little pot of jam.All served on matching China.Great value for £6.50 .Spotlessly clean inside and we sat with a lovely view over the lake watching The Birds.Baby change area and toilets were also clean and there was a notice to say if anything was wrong please to let someone know so which I thought was was great.Went for a walk in the grounds afterwards and saw the goat's and reindeers. We also saw chickens and alpacas.Plenty of hand gel outside so you could wash after touching the animals and you could buy reindeer food in the cafe.Really enjoyed the visit and will definitely go back.Also dog friendly outside and a special room that you can eat with your dog on the back if it is not being used.Keep up the good work it's a great afternoon out.

First time visiting today with husband and grandson. We popped in for a cuppa before going round the animals and were surprised how many were in eating what looked to be substantial breakfasts, many working contractors etc which is always a good sign they tend to know where the good deals are! After feeding animals and a good walk around and a good play session in the play park we returned to have lunch. I was very pleased with the senior deal which runs Monday to Friday having a roast beef meal with a good selection of potatoes and veg followed by apple pie/ice cream plus pot of tea or coffee for £8.85 other choices available. The roast meal particularly well seasoned I could taste the salt a nice change from bland meals I've had elsewhere! Everything is cooked on site, I would thoroughly recommend this cafe.

Nice and clean throughout, friendly helpful staff, good food at reasonable prices. Breakfast particularly good value for money.

Just back home from a really disappointing lunch at the cob House. Extremely slow service, the young man carving the meat took an absolute age, you aren't able to have a Yorkshire pudding unless you have beef,the cauliflower /broccoli was sat in milky water I think it was supposed to be cauliflower /broccoli cheese? As we sat to eat the meal I had a taste of someone else's Yorkshire pudding and we all agreed it tasted awful, absolutely disgusting sour taste and tough as old boots. Lastly my daughter didn't get her lunch until we had all finished eating as the girl on the till didn't put her order through despite being told when we ordered and paid for everything else. Really disappointing and won't be going back for Sunday lunch when you can get much better value for money carveries elsewhere locally.

A nice setting, would be excellent for kids. They go to a lot of trouble printing very good and useful walking route guides, this is main reason I went there.Glad I picked up the leaflets but coffee pretty dreadful and could only drink if added sufficient sugar and I don’t take sugar! Anaemic pinky/yellow soggy microwaved sausage roll also very unpleasant.Will return as it’s start point of walks but not for the cafe offerings, seems rude to abuse their free parking so maybe safer to stick to a pot of tea next time.

We visited today with 2 small children. We know that there are no charges to come to the park and we appreciate that to be able to offer this, visitors are requested and actively encouraged to purchase food from the cafe.We purchased 2 childrens meals, 2 ice creams, an adult jacket potato and salad and 4 coffees for the sum total of £32. When I checked the prices of the childrens meals they were £6 each - they consisted of 1/2 a sandwich (2 very small triangles), 1 packet of quavers, 2 finger kitkat, 1 tiny box of raisins and a carton of juice. I was surprised and very disappointed that these seemed such poor value. My jacket potato was dark brown on the outside and the inside, it had been reheated and I think more than once, it wasn't very pleasant but compared to the childrens meal it was incredible value. I appreciate that they do need to support the care of the animals and keep the grounds in good condition but we are between a rock and a hard place as we want to support their efforts but we cannot afford to keep wasting money on substandard food.I would have given 0 stars for value and food if that had been an option

Great cafe in the country park offering really good value snacks, breakfasts and lunches every day. 7 item cooked breakfast for £4.25 looked amazing, as did the croissants and coffee for those who prefer something lighter. Special offers during the week for carvery lunches, coffee and cakes and children’s meals. Staff are friendly and serve food to the table. Will definitely be going again.

Called in here on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We walked around the park first, to see all the animals

We arrived shortly after 10am and it wasn't that busy but there was an almost permanent queue for the food.

Lovely cup of coffee and gluten free cakes! Lovely selection of animals especially the Reindeers who were really friendly and enjoyed being fed. Great day out for children with park area and lots of place to run about. It is free but they ask you use restaurant and food for animals can be bought cheap which helps towards the up keep of the animals. Will be going back

Made a rookie error and ordered kids meals at same time as adult meals. Did not suggest we got adult meals later.

Absolutely the worst breakfast ever the food was cooked hours ago except for the fried egg and all the food was clock cold one slice of toast was pale and under done I would never eat here again no wonder the cafe was empty.

poppped in for lunch NEVER AGAIN! fish finger sandwich cant go wrong AHH how many fish fingers are brown taste like cardboard and inedible. on complaining was told that is normal. now i do not class myself as a fussy eater and i am happy to eat basic fishfingers but never have i seen a brown fish finger. Asked to swap for a cheese sandwich only to be told i would have to pay again as brown fish fingers are normal.

Today 26 Mamble WI members met at the Cob house for afternoon tea. We would like to thank you all very much for a excellent afternoon tea. Everything was home baked, superb cake selection, beautiful fresh sandwiches, lovely hot pots of fresh coffee and tea served with nice China. Nothing could be faulted, lovely afternoon had by all. We would all recommend for a group tea.

we stopped here as its on taste card site however they told us they are no longer on taste card but honered the buy one get one free offer . lovely place and delishios lunches

Called here with 3 members of my family for breakfast and then a walk around. I had belly buster breakfast and the others super 7 breakfasts with latte and flat white. Breakfast was served buffet style. Really good quality thick bacon and also the same for sausages. All the other components were very tasty too as were the hot drinks. Eggs served to order. Really friendly and helpful people at the counter

Called in for a meal (as visiting the Cob itself). Good service, nice meal and enjoyable watching the guinea fowl as we ate.

We love cob house and are regulars but today's experience really was the worst , Tues of half term and the place was absolutely heaving which is fine but there were nowhere near enough staff , the place was filthy the floor was covered in bits left over from earlier breakfasts and tables weren't being cleared . We ordered breakfasts from the buffet but whilst waiting ( ages ) for eggs to be cooked our other buffet choices went stone cold. Returned after a play outside for hot drinks and the place was still messy and tables full of finished plates and cutlery waiting to be cleared . Ordered a simple kids meal and it took an age to arrive .Such a shame as it's a beautiful setting but lack of staff meant it really fell short of expectations today .

Visited for a warm drink and decided to have a piece of cake as well.

Lunch was booked for 30, well in advance but the staff simply couldn't cope. There was no system for knowing who ordered which led to much confusion and the service didn't even start until twenty minutes after everybody had arrived. The first people were going to the carvery for their main course before some of the starters had been served and the wait for dessert was so long that several people had already left by the time it came. The food was OK.

Fantastic day out lovely walk around and topped off with lovely food.could not be better only it was...bill for all our food was great so reasonable for such a lovely meal.very happy.can't wait to return..and were still here

We booked this restaurant for our daughter's baby shower, and I'm so glad we did! The staff could not have been more helpful or flexible, and gave us time pre - party to decorate with our own accessories, although they also offered tablecloths and napkins if needed. The space we hired (at a tiny deposit) was lovely and airy, with nice furniture and windows opening out to the grounds. The food, brought out on tiered cake plates and served on old fashioned china was absolutely sumptuous with a range of fresh sandwiches, tiny cakes of all sorts, macaroons and scones. Thick clotted cream and strawberry jam accompanied the scones, and tea and coffee was brought out repeatedly when required. The toilets were spotless, and everywhere was clean and well cared for. A radio / CD player was even there for our use! We did notice what a lovely family friendly place it was, and spotted the Sunday lunches being served that looked really delicious! Although we didn't have time to visit the llamas, reindeer and various other animals there, I'm sure we will be returning. This place charged almost half the price of another cafe that offered afternoon tea for groups, but for smaller numbers. I know their food is nowhere near the same quality. Cob house is a little gem, and hopefully we will have cause to book afternoon tea for a party again soon!

Stayed here for a few days,tried the breakfast,Carvery and afternoon tea and all good and great value. Some of the staff perhaps need a customer service refresher as one in particular is lacking in this. Overall good place to visit

Have been a couple times recently with a friend when the kids are in school. It's not big but it makes for a nice walk, a decent meal and a beautiful lunchtime Sat in the sun. Would probably not be so nice during weekends and school holidays though!

Lovely place to take the kids. Costs nothing to see the animals. Nice tea shop/restaurant with reasonable prices and good idea at offering small and large size portions.

Lovely open surroundings to enjoy as a family. The Mayfly has reindeer, chickens, guinea fowl, water fowl, alpacas, goats and pigs. You can feed the majority of the animals and the Mayfly is a great family café that does a nice range of food for kids and grown ups.

This was an afternoon tea, with friends to celebrate my birthday, that happens to be on Valentines Day. It had been advertised and looked interesting, so I booked it. It's a lovely setting, with views ( from large windows ) of ponds and all sorts of waterfowl. The tea arrived on a three tiered cake stand, ( looking very grand ) with sandwiches at the bottom, fancy cakes on the next layer and then scones on the top. There was also jam and clotted cream to go with the scones, as well as large pots of tea and coffee. It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon, watching the antics of the ducks, and choosing which cake to have next. We were not rushed, but the staff were helpful. An enjoyable way to celebrate my birthday.

Only found this place by accident so glad we did , lovely place to eat inside or out if the weathers good , you are surrounded by animals both semi domestic and wild great place to see reindeer , the mayfiy is part of a fishing complex with a great breakfast to start your day , ideal for children plent of space to expend their energy , been many times staff have been nothing but friendly and helpful , check their website usually something going on most weekends , car boots , car meets etc

We booked afternoon tea with Santa he wasn't there!!

Good value for money breakfasts and other food. Well worth a visit, very friendly staff too! Lots of offers on breakfast and lunch. We will be back!

Just returned from lunch at the Mayfly. Carvery as good as ever, with that wonderful stuffing mixture. Desserts big enough to fill the plate and all at an easily affordable price. Pleasant staff who work hard but remain cheerful throughout. This was the second visit in a week. Left my glasses on the table and on arrival home there was a message left ... excellent service ... thank you

Welcoming venue with lovely outdoor spaces and ample parking. Great choice of food including daily specials at reasonable prices. Very helpful and friendly staff who couldn't be more pleasant.

Kids love park then to cafe for a snack . Ice creams are the best. Many people go for the carvery.the staff are very pleasant and helpful

Visited today for lunch and enjoyed their home made steak pie and a good selection of vegetables. All the food offers they gave seemed very good value.and it was nice to walk round the grounds after lunch to see the animals.a very good place to go with children

Came for a sunny family day out! Great outdoor atmosphere but soon darkened when you walk inside!

The food was average/OK but the place itself had a very strong smell of unpleasant disinfectant as soon as you walked through the door which lingered! It wasn't busy in the restaurant and although cleared, the tables were sticky with a layer of grime which also put you off! A couple of the staff did not seem happy in their work! The location was the best bit of the visit.

A fairly regular venue for our Sunday club runs and what a superb venue it is to, clean and tidy with friendly staff. Plus, and more importantly the breakfast buffet is truly fantastic, but remember to get there before 11:30.

The Mayfly Cafe serves a very good selection of food with some excellent meal deals as well. Staff are friendly and helpful, food is very good and the setting is lovely. You can sit inside or outside, watching the birds or visiting the reindeer - it's great for breakfast, lunch or tea!

This is a great place to meet for breakfast/lunch/afternoon tea. Ample parking and if you have young children, there is LOTS to do- a safe play area, animals to feed and a big pond with ducks and ducklings as well as huge grounds to let off steam! Lots of seating inside and out. The menu is varied offering a carvery and hot/cold dishes. Breakfast is also served. And a great selection of cakes and teas. Oh and they offer 50% off if you have aTastecard! What's not to like?! Highly recommend.