We visited a Bewdley riverside pub which is popular with tourists and provides a great range of meals

The town of Bewdley has become a tourist haven over the years, serving as a stop on the Severn Valley Railway and also as a place where people can take in long walks along the side of the River Severn.

As well as having the usual tourist attractions of Teddy Grays Sweets and Merchants Fish Bar, the town also has a thriving pub scene, with plenty of places open for locals and visitors alike to sit and enjoy a pint and take in the views of the river and the town.

One pub which has marked itself out as a place to go for a nice drink, a good meal and a great view is the Mug House on Severn Side North, an area of the town built up following the building of Thomas Telford's new bridge in 1798.

The pub and restaurant has been a feature of the town since the 1830s and, in 1841, when it held the new and cheaper beer house licence, it was one of about 71 licenced premises in Bewdley.

Visitors in the modern era can identify the Mug House by its distinctive cream coloured walls, lights streaming down the exterior walls and, in the summer, flower-filled hanging baskets.

Inside, the Mug House has a cosy feeling to it, with wooden beams holding tankards on the ceiling, comfy chairs and tables, a log fire in the restaurant area and a glass covered patio covered in grape vines next to a fish pond full of large and exotic fish.

The building is owned by the Star Pubs chain and the pub is run and managed by landlord Hossey Saghri, who said he had been there for six years after taking a look at the pub and liking what he saw.

He said: "I've been in the pub and restaurant trade for about 40 years and I was looking around for a pub which would be between 50 and 100 miles from where I live in Northamptonshire and which I thought would be a great opportunity and with a great location.

"I liked the Mug House when I first saw it, as I did with a lot of other places, but then I went back and forth and stayed here unannounced and did a mystery shop and then I started to get interested in it.

"I also liked Bewdley and the people and the location of the pub and I knew that the previous owner had been here for 17 years, which obviously spoke volumes about the solid foundations, so I saw it as an opportunity to help keep it growing."

Mr Saghri said the focus of the pub had changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it had gone from being a more wet-led pub to being more food-focused, as well as having a more dedicated older following at the pub, and said that the location meant it was handily placed to welcome tourists in.

He said: "I think we cater for people who want to eat here and love the location and they've either looked at reviews beforehand and chosen to come here based on that or they've found us by walking along the street and finding us naturally.

"We sit at the top of the street, so we generally get the first pickings of tourists and we get a lot of walkers who stop by on impulse, but we've also built a huge reputation from regular visits, with people coming to visit us regularly at lunchtimes and evenings over the last few years."

Mr Saghri said that while the last few years had been more challenging due to the works to build flood defences of Beales Corner and the subsequent roadworks disruption, he said that the pub was still proving popular with visitors, particularly those wanting a pint of real ale and a good meal.

He said: "We are renowned for our real ales and everyone who comes in here compliments us on our beers, which are usually about four or five hand pulls and include Timothy Taylor and Wye Valley and Bewdley Brewery, which is gluten free, plus a guest one.

"Being a Star Pub, we have premium lagers like Moretti and Heineken from that range, as well as Amstel, and I think a lot of people enjoy coming here for the food that we  do.

"We make everything to order and our menu is seasonal, plus we buy everything locally as much as we can in terms of our fish, fruit and veg and our meat, so I think our menu is fantastic because of that."

Mr Saghri said the pub trade was very much a lifestyle choice, not just a job, but said it meant everything to him because it had been good to him.

He said: "I've been doing this for 40 years and I do think that a lot of people go into it because they fancy a change and see it as a job, but I think you need to live the life.

"I can find it very difficult to switch off at night because I have a huge passion for this role and for this pub and it's very much my life."