The Bluebell Inn: we take a look inside a award-winning pub in Malvern

As I walked into the pub At Last by Glenn Miller was playing in the background and I was met with a rustic and traditional interior covered in British flag bunting in preparation for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. 

The pub has a welcoming aura as everything seems to have a home, whether it's the dog treats on the bar, the sparkling cutlery or the resident dog Marely leaping with joy every time a visitor pops their head around the door.

The Bluebell Inn has dog-friendly areas

Owners Andy Spencer and Tony Aspley say opening a pub together was a long-term goal and would sum up the pub's vibe as "a traditional and premium community pub". 

The award-winning beer garden lets visitors gaze at the Malvern Hills while sipping on a Budweiser and soaking up the British sun. 

The Malvern Hills are easier to spot in the winter

In conversation with the pub owners over a piping hot latte, Mr Spencer said the rear end of the building is listed because it dates back to the 16th century. 

Tony Aspley and Andy Spencer (and Marley) outside the Bluebell Inn.
Naturally, I asked if they think ghosts are lurking in the building dating back to 1512.

But Mr Spencer chuckled and said: "Some of the regulars say it's haunted because it's so old, but we have not seen anything."

The Bluebell Inn is getting ready for the Jubilee

Meet the owners 

Tony Aspley and Andy Spencer have been together for eight years and have always dreamt of opening a pub together. 

Mr Spencer said: "We have been together for eight years and we have run pubs for the majority of that.

"We wanted to run a pub together and we fell in love with the area and loved the community feel and we wanted somewhere we could make a stamp. 

"We are an LGBT+ couple and people have been really welcoming and we want to bring more diversity to Malvern."  

The Bluebell Inn in Malvern

An insight into the Tudor building 

The Bluebell Inn is a 16th-century pub and could be one of the oldest pubs in Malvern. 

The building was first built in 1512 in the shadow of the Malvern Hills and the building has known many faces over the past 500 years.  

The rear end of the Bluebell Inn is a listed building

As I perched on a comfy armchair just opposite the bar hovering over my notepad and latte, Mr Spencer was excited to show me a brochure for the pub from the 1960sThe Bluebell Inn brochure from the 60s

He said: "When the Bluebell Inn was a hotel in the 1960s, it was £3 to spend the night and only three items on the menu.

The rear end of the Bluebell Inn is a listed building

Since the 60s, the owners have given the menu a modern twist and Mr Spencer revealed that the most popular dish on the menu is chicken and chorizo homemade kebabs or the halloumi and vegetable homemade kebab for vegetarians. 

The rear end of the Bluebell Inn is a listed building

Charity work 

In the past, the owners of the pub have used their platform to raise awareness and money for important issues.

Andy Spencer and Tony Aspley use their platform to raise money for charity

This year the pub has raised over £3,000 for multiple charities including Midlands Air Midlands Charity, Malvern Hills Food Bank, Heartstart Malvern, Poppy Appeal and Little Princess Trust.   

The Bluebell Inn is dog-friendly

The Bluebell Inn is also excited to be a stop-off point for the Queen's relay runners as they come through Malvern on Friday, July 22. 

The Birmingham 2022 games will see the 16th edition of the Queen's Baton Relay which started in October last year. 

"We're really excited and proud we are hosting. Our staff are really excited about it and really upbeat."

Mr Spencer said: "We know that the Queens's baton relay will stop up here in the Malvern area."