The Little Upton Muggery in Malvern Hills

Totally 100% fabulous Sunday lunch i couldn’t finish as it was so big .. starve yourself before you go … highly recommend landlady a delight and barman super friendly

Excellent, beautifully presented tuna sandwiches & delicious chips + side salad (including red onion, the sign of a good salad 😊). £12, including 2 lovely mugs of tea. Exactly what we wanted on a rather grey afternoon. So, for us, it was more like a cafe. Some unkind TripAdvisors have written unfavorably about the Landlady, but she is clearly ‘old school’, and possibly in her late 70s - wouldn’t suffer bad manners, I’m quite sure. And nor should she. She’s been running the Muggery for years; I’m sure she’d have a few tales to tell. Unfortunately she takes cash only, which immediately reduces her income and is a problem for customers.. We were lucky to have £15, which covered what we wanted.

Whilst not everyone's cup of tea we love traditional pubs, i.e those that have had little done to them for years, just like this one. There is also Muriel, a bit blunt but lovely when you get chatting to her who had been the landlady for years and had lots to tell us about the pub. All the mugs, tiles and the very old pool table also make this pub a must visit.

The landlady was so so rude. Would not recommend . She made us feel really uncomfortable and made us feel so unwelcome

Amazing - Folk festival highlight for me. Loved the welcome, singing and Ludlow guest beer! As for the mugs on the ceiling - wow! Loved them. Great experience. No fuss. But don't come if you are expecting a boring chain pub or a swanky bar. This is a lovely, characterful local pub.

Stopped off for a quick coffee after several hours of delays on the motorway. It was without doubt the worst place we have visited for a very long time. We sat in the small, uncared for back yard with tatty, dirty tables adorned with overflowing ashtrays. The sole member of staff (publican?) was sitting reading a newspaper oblivious to the poor housekeeping all around. The toilets were very grubby and the floors had the dirt of ages on them. When the coffee arrived, one of the mugs had a long hair on the outside. We paid and left without touching them. On checking the hygiene rating we were not at all surprised to find it was a 'one'.

We visited here yesterday as needed place that was dog friendly. The poor lady was on her own as she was about to close but still served us and made us feel so welcome. My friend and I had jacket potatoes which were scrumptious and my husband had rump steak which was cooked to perfection and my friends husband had gammon which he said was delicious. The portions were huge and side salad with jackets was presented beautifully with sprinkled herbs on top. What a quaint old English pub with lovely atmosphere and delicious food will definitely be back

The drinks are chilled , the menu is lip smacking , love the tankards on the ceiling but the outside area is a let down , I’m sure the management can make this area more appealing, remove the rubbish and make this area into a place we’re it is SAFE to go outside . The outside toilets need a upgrading too.

Absolutely disgusting, leave your rubbish in a fenced area the rats will love you. Chemical disposal above chest height, random pitching regardless of what you have paid for meaning trailing electric hookup cables,no signage to site entry, How owners can justify £24 a night beggars belief.Pothole so deep it had a traffic cone in it but no actual warning.

I guess you have to be a bit different to rate this pub as highly as we do and a quick look at other reviews confirm that we must be that different. On our first visit to the Muggery we were exposed to the landlady's 'different' ways of greeting people, being told off for sitting at two tables when we are a couple. It wasn't long though that she warmed to us and us to her. The pub is a trip back in time and has many interesting tales to tell. Although I have never had the chance to try the Desperate Dan Pie, I was told it is amazing and it does look that way. During the recent Upton Blues Festival we saw the pub in a different light with live music in the bar. The bar staff were brilliant and were extremely busy keeping people served while showing a brilliant sense of humour. We find that the landlady's way of greeting and interacting with people is a bonus and will provide you with many laughs if taken in the right way. If you want a posh normal pub then give this a miss. If you want an absolute gem then step inside and enjoy the experience.

I saw that one of the reviews on her starts "Landlady was really rude...." That's true so I will start the same. Landlady was really rude ... but nevertheless we enjoyed ourselves and left with smiles on our faces. She is definitely an acquired taste. She told us that she had been running the place for 30 years, incredible it has lasted that long given the way she interacts with customers. Having said that, if you are thick-skinned enough to live with a Fawlty Towers style of landlady then the pub is pleasant enough and is still worth a visit - so 4 stars. Just don't ask for anything out of the ordinary, such as in our case when we asked for ice, you will be given short shrift.

I have been visiting here sporadically for years, Muriel is like marmite but once you get chatting to her she has some lovely stories to tell. I took a crowd here a while back for the desperate Dan pie it was great. I shall definitely be going back.

Booked for the four of us on Sunday 27/03/22 at The Little Upton Muggery for Sunday Roast Meals. Service was good & friendly staff, cash only & paid GBP 57.50 for the 4 meals + drinks. Large portion meals & well cooked.

Well found this fantastic little pub, in 1997, what a find, good old fashioned pub, with great service , thank you mark, the land lady, is absolutely brilliant, with amazing talent, food is always cooked to your liking, with prices to match 🤩🤩🤩, Muriel, thank you once again,

After reading the previous mixed reviews we were curious to visit whilst in Upton. Inside is quite attractive with mugs all over the ceiling and good decor on the walls. There is a central bar with a dining area to the right and round to the left, up a step is further seating and a pool table. On ordering our drinks the barman immediately told me "cash only". Having read reviews I knew that. My wife was intersted to look around at the decor but the landlady, sitting in the pool area rudely asked "What do you want" This immediately put us off, plus the ale tasted off so we left without finishing. The decor raised my score.

Landlady was really rude..no welcome and just stared at us when we walked in. No signs we could see that said they only accept cash so we ordered a pint and glass of wine..then tried to pay...she just stared rudely like we should have known...

This is a pub that one rarely encounters today - the sort of place that is essentially someone’s sitting room where they happen to serve beer. Muriel is a unique hostess - it seems to me that customers either take it or leave it. I...

Vile tasting old beer, dirty smelly smeared glasses, horribly unclean and the land lady is beyond rude. Will not be returning

Popped in here for lunch, while on a visit to a family member. The woman behind the bar, never said hello, or welcomed us, she walked into the back room. When she did come back, still no welcome. I asked for a menu, and she...

Been visiting here for over 20 years. The food is like your mum has made its. With all the love and taste. There is nothing on the menu that is not made to this standard. Plenty of food no skimping. Sunday lunches are fabulous. Just...

Lovely food, very reasonably priced, lovely lady who did cooking and serving, very friendly, food homemade. Lovely snug type olde world pub, will be visiting again next time in area. Who cleans all the mugs???? Left with a smile and best wishes from lady. Thank...

Fabulous, little old pub, excellent service and food, Well done Merrill keep up the good work 💕🤗, Including a picture of Stanley xxx

We were on our way home from holiday up the M5 and were looking for somewhere to stop for lunch and we came across this place. The home cooked food was lovely and well presented with a very friendly lady serving. I had the lasagne...

Came in for dinner and will definitely return. Landlady and barman such lovely people. Food was delicious. A quaint pub at the end of Upton high street, towards the Rugby pitch. Even managed to have a game of pool in the back room. You really...

The atmosphere and the landlady were a delight, but the food was a terrible disappointment. The chips were overcooked and were nearly inedible. Would not go back for food.

The bar man was helpful with friendly banter, the pub is unique with all the tankards on the ceiling but outside in the outside area it needs a upgrade with a lick of paint especially the gents toilets . Dirty and unclean .

I imagine this landlady has owned the pub for some time. The pub itself has stood still in time. We did eat here and it was palatable, but we probably wouldn't rush back. The chips were over cooked, everything else was ok.

Terrible. Was quiet but barman couldn't find a glass he said I really should wash some glasses. Ordered food took 1 1/2 to arrive chicken kievs and the chips were way over cooked. Chips cooked that much no potato left inside. Steak was tough. We...

What can i say. The landlady was lovely but omg the cleanliness was awful. We didn't even let the dog lie on the floor. Don't go to the toilet or expect a clean glass.

The Muggery has been more or less an annual pilgrimage for my family on our trips to the Malvern area. It's been an oasis of calm and quiet for (mostly older) adults for longer than I've been around. I don't often promote eating in pubs,...

Take away service during lockdown is very much appreciated and needed. The desperate Dan pie is a meal in itself, best pie in the area 😋

We loved it! Warm welcome, fantastic homemade food and charming old fashion pub. Full of Character and ceiling mugs, this is an old fashion pub so don't expect modern amenities/décor. Parking outside Most meals around £10 and are made to order!!

Popped in for Lunch. OMG. Yes mugs adorn the pub. But I would Give the owner a £1 for Every mug that’s been cleaned In 2019. Let alone last month.

After a long day at the N.E.C, I found this pub by chance as we were staying up the road. I would highly recommend it as the bar staff and landlady are very friendly, the food was faultless, very quick and fresh and you could...

We stayed at Upton for the sunshine festival and booked in for the Sunday lunch. We went for the 2 or 3 course lunch, starter soup or pate, then beef, pork or chicken lunches. There were 10 of us and all the food came out...

Ice cold cider just what the doctor ordered on a hot and sunny 😎 bank holiday weekend. Yes the bar is full of character and charm , but maybe the manager could spend some of his profits on bringing the toilets and outside seating area...

Popped in for an evening meal whilst spending the night in the village, this was an interesting little pub, food was nice and good prices, staff were friendly. It was very quiet when we were there, we were the only ones in there so we...

Until a recent visit, the last time I had been to The Little Upton Muggery was circa 1989. Back then they would give you one of their famous mugs (actually made there) with every meal. Our family must have gone there a lot because the...

We tried this Pub / Restaurant for Sunday lunch, we had our granddaughter with us, the barman was very friendly and welcoming, the food was excellent served on hot plates and well worth the money, we will visit again

Dull decor. Dull food. Dull atmosphere. Nasty toilets. Not worth a visit. Not particularly friendly or welcoming.

Muriel and team always make my husband and I feel extrwmely welcome when we visit. Great home cooked food, service and beer. A great place to sit and people watch and interesting to see where all the hundreds of mugs hanging from the ceiling, are...

We visited the Folk festival at Upton, one of the venues was the Muggery. Old school I expected everyone to get out the Old Holburn roll up a fag and light up. The carpet has "character" no thread. The pub is run down and needs...

We came to this fantastic pub during the folk weekend. We had a meal on Saturday evening. There were 6 of us. We all had different meals. Everyone's meals were fabulous! I had beef curry. It was really tasty! All the meals looked good. They...

We stumbled upon this pub, me, my mom and my daughter when we were in need of food. The pub itself is unusual with its quirky mugs and photos. Yes it may be outdated and the toilets may not be to the high standard that...

Badly maintained. Awful toilets. Uninspiring food. Landlady is extremely rude. Seats uncomfortable. Nothing to recommend it really except the original landlords unique idea of hanging hundreds of mugs from the ceiling. It used to be good but it has now been neglected and is not...

Called in for a drink during the Blues Festival and perused the menu over a pint, well stocked bar with some great ales, sadly we had missed the food and upon seeing the Desperate Dan pie,decided that was for lunch the next day, taste buds...

I first visited here 4 years ago and partook of the Desperate Dan Pie so this visit was full of expectation. My friend had the Diddy Dan Pie (smaller version of the Desperate Dan Pie) while I had the Beef Curry. As far as pies are concerned I am a bit of a traditionalist. To me a pie is a pastry case with a filling cooked cooked in the oven this was nothing of the sort. Without the pastry cap (the first time it saw the filling was a few minutes before serving) the filling could have been served as a meat and veg stew, casserole or with a few sliced potatoes even a hotpot, however, my friend assures me it tasted OK. The Beef Curry was excellent but for one minor point - it tasted as if the cook had dropped the salt pot in it. I tried valiantly to finish it but could barely get halfway through without feeling sick. Unfortunately my efforts came back to haunt me as even 6 hours later I was still trying to rid myself of the salty taste in my mouth. This a somewhat rustic pub, on the verge of being 'spit & sawdust' and has a certain charm but I couldn't in all honesty recommend the food.

We only go to Upton a couple of times a year and I always try to have a lunch at the Muggery. The bid attraction, and big it is, is the Desperate Dan pie. As already said it is a large pie with steak, kidney and vegetables in a gravy. It tastes even better than I describe it. The rest of the group had steaks, cooked as required, scampi and chips, gammon eggs and chips, veg and cheese pie. We were early, do were served quickly. All food was fresh, well cooked and tasty. Last year at this time, they apologized as there were no horns on the pie. Rest assured they are forgiven. Really should try their Sunday roast, but that may mean that I have to forego my pie. Another difficult decision for next year.

This pub wouldn't look out of date in a gritty documentary filmed in the 1970s or maybe an episode of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads. It's a real, old-fashioned English pub.

Nice to spend an evening chatting to the locals and experiencing the feel of a real traditional public house,a sadly dissapearing experience.

We have just spent our 3rd evening eating at the Muggery and cannot fault the food. It’s home cooked and plenty of it. The veg was fresh and the meat cooked to perfection, nothing was too much trouble when we asked for potatoes instead of chips and was offered fresh veg instead of salad. The Sunday roast was wonderful and really great value. Yes, the Muggery is what we’d call an old fashioned pub the likes of which is hardly seen anymore and it’s fair to say the inside hasn’t been refurbed for some time, but it is cleaner than most places we’ve eaten at in Upton upon Servern, the beer is cold and the food steaming hot. We’d say, just try it, you won’t be sorry.

Very nice traditional old pub, probably 1 of a kind, with lovely home cooked food, I haven't seen such a old pub like this for about 20 years..

Does what it says on the tin. No frills honest food. Lovely hospitality with that back to the eighties feel with no pomp or circumstance. Stick your Gordon Ramsey proverbial up your back alley. Need to retain more pubs like this. Particularly enjoyed the quaint rear courtyard experience watching the sun pass between 18.30 - 19.30. Magical!

Had the desperate dan pies and they were wonderful a meal in themselves struggled to finish but we did.nice friendly atmosphere and good real ale.

I've visited this time-capsule pub on several occasions over the past couple of years and the food has been really good every time, well cooked large portions and reasonably priced. The chips are especially good. I've only ever visited at lunchtime and the place has never been particularly busy but then I like quiet pubs. The landlady is friendly enough and as the name of the pub suggests there is an extensive collection of mugs hanging from the ceiling. Free parking not far from the pub.

My partner and I turned up on a rainy Monday lunchtime for some food. We were the only customers there so hsd the undivided attention of the very friendly landlady. She told us where the warmest place to sit was (we had arrived on the motorbike and needed warming up!) We were immediately offered hot drinks and then ordered food which was tasty and plentiful. Whilst waiting for the food, you can look at all the mugs hung up on the ceiling. It was like having lunch in your nan's house. Yes, the pub is shabby. Yes, the toilets could do with upgrading but were clean. No, there isn't a beautifully printed menu, but the menu board is easily readable and spelt correctly. Would highly recommend.

We've been twice recently for the Lunch Offer - tuna, ham or cheese sandwiches, with delicious freshly-cooked chips, a sizeable salad garnish AND mug of tea or coffee - for two of this comes to under a tenner. All very fresh and tasty, well-presented and delicious. Our dog was welcomed too - and he enjoyed a few chips..

Worst pub i have ever been to joined trip advisor purely to warn people about this place the lady (if you can call her that considering her manors) was the most vile pub owner/server i have ever cone across we live local and were looking...

Blues festival it was excellent how the pub was divided off for food. went round town and to get a sit down food the muggery was the place to have food we got a table and the staff was excellent and food was excellent.there was a six sat round a table not eating and had no drinks so was asked very nicely to move. As people was waiting to get food .they moaned a bit but the staff handled it good .old fashion pub hope it stays as it is

Metimos en Upton durante el festival de blues. El espíritu que prevaleció en todas partes no mostrar su rostro en el Muggery. Seis de nosotros intentado compartir una mesa para dos, pero como no estaban comiendo nos ungraciously arrojaban. Me perdí un montón de dinero...

No comer, pero menús de comida de estilo tradicional. Por qué estrafalario? Hay cientos de tazas colgando de los techos. La cerveza estaba bien cuidado.

The Little Upton Muggery is certainly one to put on your list to visit, even if only to view the...

Pasó por Upton para el festival de jazz y en el pub para un par de medias. Pub estaba muy lleno como una banda de jazz tocaba pero no sirvieron de inmediato, el personal del bar era muy amable y las bebidas estaban bien de...

Bien, el Muggery es desaliñada, no hay duda de eso. Acceso en silla de ruedas. . Extraño en la mejor. pero con un rápido salto, ruedas y silla arrinconada por la puerta de atrás me y otros en sillas más restrictiva la feria mejor. Sinceramente,...

nothing to look at outside but inside very unique ,different, it needs a little work done, but the lady who...

4 de nosotros llegamos tarde el domingo por la tarde, fue después de las 3 pm. Nos dieron una bienvenida muy amable, platos muy caliente que mantiene la comida caliente, buena calidad, buen budín de verduras de calidad, un precio muy razonable. Sí, el aspecto general pueden necesitar una mano de pintura, pero este es un encantador pub tradicional.

Folk festival, they cater for it.Staff work great all friendly.Good pub food.Good beer.They do give minor priority to locals,good for them, no prob.

Have been to the muggery a number of times good basic food, good size portions, and always looked after!

No atmosphere at all land lady sad!! Food bad what more can we say, won't be ever attending another day. ........

A wonderful local pub offering a good range of beers and delicious home cooked menu, can highly recommend the desperate Dan pie if you have have a good appetite, generous portions with friendly staff and excellent customer service

My partner had been wanting to visit for ages and he suggested it. We rang to check they were serving food on a Sunday evening and they were - for another hour. We high tailed over and walked through the door and it was like stepping into another time zone.It is (or was) one of a group of Mad O'Rourke pubs and proudly displayed its history as such. Interesting tiles on the wall behind where we ate, showing the different pubs in the group. Many have gone now, sadly.They'd been cleaned out of some of the most popular dishes - Desperate Dan Pie and steak (a good sign we thought!). So we chose off a pretty extensive menu for a small pub and my lasagne was delicious. And we all raved over having 'real chips'.The mugs hanging up were lovely - how on earth do they keep them clean? It was clean though. Although sadly it does look a little tired and unloved. But we were comfortable and well looked after.Friendly waves and best wishes as we went on our way. Shame so many of these pubs have gone.

went in for a Sunday lunch. Staff friendly. Meals served quickly, but unfortunately the beef was inedible. The place is quirky, but a bit run down. in desperate need of some TLC.

Visited for a drink. Reasonable prices. Food looked and smelt good, but we had already eaten when we found this pub. Amazing collection of mugs. Who cleans them all?? They were all clean and tidy ..must take hours.

Have visited this pub on each occassion we have visited upton , Never sampled the food (YET) but it looks and smells wonderful. Friendly staff who never stop . would reccommend this pub for its unusual decor nice staff and nice cider

We were in Upton for the Sunshine festival yesterday. Popped into the Muggery for a quick bite. I ordered a pint of Hobgoblin from the barmaid; on tasting it, the beer was patently off (bitter, yeasty taste, completely unlike the rich, ruby sweetness of HG). I advised the barmaid, who fetched the landlady. The landlady was extraordinarily unsympathetic to my situation. "No-one else has complained"..."it's supposed to taste of yeast"..."looks fine". I had a (reasonable) pint of Doom Bar instead, and we decided not to sample the food. It's a real shame the landlady took such a position, as the pub itself has the makings of a real gem (timewarp, 1970s-esque vibe). Sadly her attitude to customer service belongs in 1976, not 2016. I don't believe I was alone in thinking the same - the table opposite shared our opinion.

Just as I remember it from Mad [Colm] O'Rourke's, 'The Little Pub Co' days; characterful, good beer and freshly prepared and cooked 'pub' food - excellent; consequently as there were a few veg that my sister preferred not to have in her vegetarian pie, so fine the chef (I think the landlady), left them out . . . simple . . . try that at a big chain version of a traditional pub! Friendly welcome and punters too . . . can't really relate to the critical reviews elsewhere . . .

The Muggery is a descent little pub under normal circumstances but we were disappointed with the service during this years blues festival. The pub were overwhelmed by the number of visitors, only two bar staff were on duty and both were very slow serving customers. Ran out of bitter at 6pm. They need to be better prepared for future events.

This is a small quaint ale house on the towns Main Street. The most unusual thing about this little place is the amount of mugs decorating the walls and the ceilings which add a huge amount of character to this friendly establishment.

This is a small pub ,set in what looks like a small lounge.Covered in mugs!Good to see if you are a collector.Cheap ale and food.Very much a local's pub.

Fabulous great food we love muriel , Stella and Bubba always made welcome and spoilt rotten have travelled near and far in the world and muriel's is always in my top ten

i love this little traditional pub .. very quirky with fine ale . 2000 mugs hang on the ceiling and wall . food good pub gub .

Went for lunch there today while in Upton not the cleanest pubs ever but please don't let that put you off the food is great and good portions £ 9 -50 Sunday lunch for three courses would eat here again

Have visited this establishment in the past and visited again over the weekend as we are regular visitors to Upton. We know the food is home cooking, I had liver with onions and the wife had simple egg and chips washed down with a pint of Doombar.I feel its about time the brewery spent some money on this place although the food was good,the beer and decor needs a revamp. For those of you who have never been to Upton there are many many pubs for the size of the village most are packed at times of Music Festivals etc but struggle out of season. Oh yes the Doombar it was ok but I saw fellow drinkers leaving theirs and opting for Hobgoblin.

We had a warm welcome , this is an olde worldly pub with old fixtures and fittings that has resisted the need to change. We had good pub grub , very generous portions at a decent price.

The whole place looked dirty. i would not have wanted to sit down as the seats were filthy. I could not have ate there. Landlady was not very welcoming.

After walking around Upton for a couple of hours on a very hot day we were at the lower end of the High Street looking for a quick bite to eat.In the window was a sign advertising a lunch offer of sandwiches chips salad & tea/coffee for just £4! We walked into a rather small old fashioned bar & sat at a table with faded fabric on the furnished seats.It looks like it's seen better days,but the real highlight is the ceiling which is covered in mugs of every description.I'm normally pretty quick to notice rudeness/bad manners in public places but the 2 women serving were polite & pleasant.There is quite an extensive menu for a small pub but we chose cheese & tuna sandwiches on brown bread which were well filled & delicious.Served with chips,salad & a mug of coffee it was well worth the money & filled us up.There was no live music playing when we were in....just quiet & relaxed so I can't comment on the live bands.There are many places to eat in Upton which are smarter & more upmarket than "The Muggery" & I will probably try somewhere else next time.....but I got tasty food at a great price so I was satisfied!

Looking for a place to get a quick bite to eat and a pint of ale, we made our way into the rather crowded Little Upton Muggery during this year's Upton Jazz Festival. Its name is best explained by the wall-to-wall collection of porcelaine beer mugs hanging from the ceiling. There was a band playing fairly loudly and they certainly had their followers. We managed to find a table around the corner and slightly away from where the band was playing. Our food was all right but hardly gourmet, and the service was good.

Ok, different from your usual pub,but if you like different and I do then you will like this pub, friendly, good food and a cosy fire in winter.

not good - beer overpriced and warm, scruffy interior and unfriendly staff. There are many pubs in Upton - choose another one instead!!

Stumbled in here by chance as nowhere else in Upton does food Sunday evening! The decor is a little past its best but don't be put off as the food is absolutely fantastic. My steak was of the highest quality and just melted in my mouth. My companion's Beef Lasagne was very good too. All cooked on the premises by seasoned staff. Fine local ale on tap too! Most amazingly I thought it was cheap as chips! Definitely worth a visit if you're up the opposite end of the High Street!

Food was ok price was cheap but the service did not come with a smile. We felt uncomfortable and left as soon as we were finished.

A nice friendly pub with excellent food! The liver and onions was to die for and the jacket potato was excellent.

Not only is this pub very dirty but the woman behind the bar is very rude. She seems more interested in going to look out of the window then serving the customers. We were going to eat there but were put off by the dirty worn seats so dreaded to think what the kitchen was like. With so many lovely pubs and eateries in the area it beats me how she stays open.

Bad Service bad atmosphere the tables haven't been cleaned in a decade it would be best if it was shut down!

Visited this premises and found the drinks to be good and the food was home cooked. If you like traditional local produce such as Liver and Onions or Faggots then there is no better place in Upton. The décor is a little diverse hence its name.

This place was the first meal I ate in Upton, what a bad mistake, just getting a drink from the miserable staff member was hard work, I should not have persevered but I then ordered liver & bacon, my friend has garlic mushrooms, the mash was lumpy & the presentation was appalling. The garlic mushrooms were drowning in the butter so neither meal was enjoyed. Avoid!!

I think this place is probably great if you're a chosen local. However around 10 of us were out for the night and the woman behind the bar couldn't have been more rude. You'd honestly have thought we'd ruined her day by asking for a bloody pint! Very peculiar. Give it a miss. Plenty better places where staff are happy to take your money AND manage a smile to boot.

Went to Upton on Severn for the Blues, Jazz and Beer festival 18th, 19th July. Never been before but would certainly go again. We managed to get a table on the Saturday to eat in the Muggery and had a real treat, the most enormous Desperate Dan Pie! It came with pastry horns and pastry cover on top of a delicious mixture of steak, kidney and vegetables in a lovely thick gravy. You didn't need anything else with it except perhaps some beer. It was delicious.The surrounding are what anyone would expect of a small English pub including some rather quirky pieces of wall decoration. But the ceilings are covered with..... Yeah you guessed it beer mugs, hence the name. Of course given the festival there was live music too.

We go to most of the festivals in Upton and have always visited this pub. It has some good jammin' sessions and my other half loved the Desperate Dan pie. However, for the last 2 festivals, they have run out of cider...yes, really, they ran out of cider! As the festivals have been going for many years, I would have thought that they would know how much cider to buy in by now. This last weekend was the Jazz festival and it wasn't even that busy but still they ran out. If I had that pub, I would make sure I had enough even if it meant stacking barrels ceiling high in any room available.What also almost made the other half cry was the pastry on the pie this time. It was no thicker than a poppadum which doesn't really make for a good pie. My steak was lovely but they could put far less salad on the plate...it was virtually spilling off onto the table (not that that is a fault as such, its just that its a waste of salad). We will probably still go there but if they keep running out of cider we will start going elsewhere unfortunately...just as a lot of others are doing. Don't think the other half will bother with the pie again either, which is such a shame considering it used to be so good.

There are some pubs that are caught in a time warp and carry a certain charm about them. You dont want them ever to change - they remind you of Old England in the 50s and 60s. This place however, isnt one of them. In fact it calls to mind all that was terrible about those old pubs. We popped in on the way through the village, and really wish we'd kept driving, because the stench of the gents toilet and the heaviness of the cheap bit of gristly gammon and what looked like oven chips I was served, hung around for the rest of the day. Sometimes it's easier, when you enter a strange pub that feels wrong, to just slip back out of the door and find something else. We deeply regret not running for the door straight away, and keep asking ourselves how we persuaded ourselves to stick around. The po-faced and charmless woman behind the bar seemed utterly indifferent to these strangers in her gaff, and it was clear she wasn't one for small talk. We sat in a seedy looking area surrounded by mugs and I wondered whether the pub had been a victim of the recent floods, and not been cleaned up afterwards. The fireplace contained an array of rubbish, so either it must have been used as the pub bin, or the detritus had just settled there after a flood. A poker lay, alarmingly, in front of it. I made the mistake of seeking out the gents and on the way tripped over a raised wooden block which apparently served the purpose of marking out a darts area. The toilet was the worst I've ever seen in any pub in this country, and that's saying something. The multiple disinfectant blocks did nothing to mask the stale toilet stench. An absolutely filthy sink and nothing to dry ones hands on unless they meant us to use the toilet roll helpfully placed nearby.I'm sure the village itself has many charms and indeed decent places to eat. Being strangers passing through, we were unaware of the dangers lurking in this poor unloved little place which needs the equivalent of being taken into care. Avoid it all costs.