Who doesn’t like food? It’s the pleasure palate of life! Our area boasts a fine array of tempting, locally-produced edibles to tickle the most discerning of taste buds, and combining it with a walk is a great way of indulging and burning off the calories at the same time. Worcestershire’s new and evolving food and drink trade association has a directory of food growers, producers and retailers for reference or take a look at our ‘Eating Out’ list.
The Great Malvern Interactive Walk – Route To The Hills (45 minutes)
Want to find out about Malvern’s Victorian water cure, or the town’s scientific achievements and historic buildings? This short, leisurely walk begins at Malvern’s charming, must-see Victorian railway station, and takes in some specially-commissioned artworks, including a bench featuring the legs of Mr. Tumnus from C.S Lewis’ ‘The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe’. It even passes by a well, with free freshly filtered spring water! Ordinarily, it’s around 45 minutes, but the route is peppered with a host of inviting eateries, all wafting delicious aromas and willing you across the threshold. Breakfast like a king with a Full English at Gallery 36, graze at the Mulberry Tree with a lunch of Baked Camembert and roasted garlic chutney or a Mezze platter with prosciutto and salami, or try the flatbread and tapenades, crispy duck or chicken terrine at Mac n Jacs. Off to the theatre? Then how about Italian-style Beef medallion in Marsala wine or sautéed king prawns in lobster bisque at Peppe’s? Or check out the exquisite Nepalese lamb dishes, Goan fish recipes or Bangladeshi-inspired plates from fine Indian restaurant, Anupam. Additionally, the Great Malvern Farmers’ Market takes place on the third Saturday of every month – known for its delicious, locally grown and produced, seasonal food and drink with provenance. It’s a real social occasion too!
Find out more about the Route To The Hills.
Find out more about Malvern.
From Henry’s to Clive’s – Upton & The Hanleys (6.5 miles)
Technically, this walk starts from Upton Bridge, but why not begin with a coffee at Henry’s in the town’s High Street? Housed in a former bank building, this charming little coffee house is owned by Elisabeth Drake, who set up shop in memory of her biochemist brother Henry, who tragically lost his life aged just 50 in 2014, and has filled it with his beloved history books. So, back to the bridge – a point of interest itself. Originally a wooden structure which replaced a medieval ferry, it has been superseded by everything from a stone installation (damaged during the English Civil War and washed away by floods in 1852), to a drawbridge, a swing bridge and the modern structure now in place today. Heading out on the B4211, the route takes you up Quay Lane to Church End, Hanley Castle and passes the Grade II listed, unspoiled 15th century Three Kings Inn, registered on the National Inventory of Historic Interiors. Here you can enjoy locally brewed real ales and Westons’ Old Rosie cider on draught. Cross through dairy pasture, woodland, a hazel coppice and arable fields to reach Clive’s Fruit Farm, Farm Shop & Butchery. Clive’s is a cornucopia of locally produced food and drink – ready-picked and PYO soft fruit, home-produced apple and pear juice, fine delicatessen, seasonal fruit and vegetables and quality cuts of meat. Why not treat yourself to Clive’s famous Worcestershire Wobblejuice or a slice of delicious cake in Godfrey’s Coffee Shop on site?
Find out more about this Upton to Hanley walk.
Inn, Market & Village Shop – Lulsley, Alfrick & Knightwick in the Teme Valley (6.5 miles)
The idyllic Teme Valley is awash with delicious local food and drink, and this walk takes in an award-winning inn, an authentic, established farmers market and a little village shop with a big heart. Starting out by the A44 at Suckley, on the Lulsley to Alfrick road, the route meanders between the lovely River Teme and Osebury Rock – a magnificent cliff face, which according to British Folklore, is a favourite haunt of fairies. Pass the entrance to Grade II listed Lulsley Court in the small township-chapelry of Lulsley – home to ‘Worcestershire Country Pub & Bar of the Year’ (2019), the characterful Fox & Hounds. Stop for well-kept local ales, ciders, gins and whiskies, and quality food using ingredients from local suppliers, or visit the Alfrick & Lulsley Community Shop which sells a feast of local produce and groceries and houses a café too. Walks in this part of the world always feature lovely woodlands and pasture land and the route includes an ash wood and the gentle slopes of Crews Hill, part of the Suckley Hills, before the descent into Knightwick. Take your walk on the second Sunday in the month, and you’ll stumble across Teme Valley Market – a haven for foodies. Filmed by Channel 4, it is one of the oldest (and most authentic) farmers markets in the country, with around 30 stalls offering seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally-reared meats, fudge, pickles, preserves, cider, beers, perries and wine, gluten-free products, cheeses, specialty sausages and smoked nuts, together with plants and craft items like hand-forged ironworks, jewellery and bath products. Dependent on how far your feet will carry you, make sure you visit Astley Vineyard.
Find out more about the Lusley, Alfrick, Knightwick and Teme Valley walk.
Wine & Welland (6.5 miles)
What could be better than meandering through a pleasant and peaceful landscape, with a patchwork of fields, native hedgerows, ancient trees, chocolate box cottages and banks of wild flowers. You can stop for a spot of lunch at an award-winning country inn, then shop for fine wine at a real vineyard, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. This walk does have some overgrown areas and visible, but inaccessible paths, but it adds to the challenge and is nevertheless, a rewarding stroll through lovely countryside. Starting out at the crossroads in Welland – a small village at the foot of the Malvern Hills, the route takes you along Drake Street towards Upton, through a terrain of mainly pasture and arable land which passes a pool, a lake and a copse. The Inn at Welland is rather a stylish country restaurant and pub with Good Food Guide and Trip Advisor accolades among others, and a perfect spot for lunch with lovely views of the quintessentially English Malvern Hills. On the way back, close to the crossroads at Garrett Bank, is the family-run, 13 acre English vineyard, Lovells, which started out as a hobby project and now sells 12,000 bottles of clean, crisp fruity wines each year. The vineyard is open to the public and there’s a shop too. Try the seductively fruity Sonatina Rose or the sparkling Elgar, with its citrus notes, named after one of Britain’s most famous composers. If you want to make your walk a little longer, start at Clive’s Fruit Farm where you can PYO or visit the farm shop to purchase some scrumptious locally sourced food and drink.
Find out more about the Wine & Welland walk.
Want to stay a little longer? Check out our accommodation listings to find your perfect break to The Malverns.
(Photo: iStock)
