About Whitbourne - the home of Mugworks the Custom Mug Makers
The village of Whitbourne lies midway between Worcester and Leominster in the Herefordshire countryside and is almost unknown to the big wide world. Yet it was the setting where, in around the year 1600, Francis Godwin wrote the first ever science fiction book, The Man in the Moon. Some 70 years before Isaac Newton watched the apple fall and "discovered" gravity, Godwin described in the book "... a secret property that pulls things towards the earth, but which get weaker with distance and has no power in space ...". Gravity !!!!
Our beautiful church in Whitbourne
In fact Godwin lived and wrote his book next door to the Church!
The other thing that puts Whitbourne on the map is Whitbourne Mugworks.
Want to know more about Whitbourne Mugworks?
Based in the village community, Whitbourne Mugworks is a typical small business where there are no set working hours other than all day and all night and where most of the time you will reach a human being if you telephone us (though occasionally you'll reach the answer phone and we'll call you back as soon as we can).
Who runs Mugworks?
The principle of the business is Keith Butler, supported by his accountant wife Lynn. On the production side a helping hand is given by Adam who is nowadays a full time student at Manchester Metropolitan University but helps out when he returns home and when not involved playing American Football and Rugby (in which he is also a qualified coach).
The Mug Man
Keith has a long sporting pedigree having worked for MCC at Lord's, Worcestershire County Cricket Club, has merchandised for Goodyear in Formula 1 and was Commercial Manager at Gravesend and Northfleet FC (long before it became Ebbsfleet United), Rochdale, Hereford United, Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Clubs (having also worked at Millwall and Swindon Town). As if that isn't enough he also built and ran the Cricket Shop at Edgbaston for Warwickshire County Cricket Club over a ten year period - and where he was responsible for the famous King of Spain mug.
Tired of constant commuting on the M40 he decided to work closer to home. He now is the owner of Whitbourne Mugworks which he has run since 2008.
Our picture shows Keith and Adam supporting their football team at Wembley. Can you work out which Club they are supporting - answer is revealed on the Personalised Mugs page.
About Our Mugs too...
Our core product is the WYCOMBE RHINO COATED MUG in what is commonly known as a DURHAM shape, featured above.
This is a high quality mug produced in the far east (our mugs are mainly produced in Thailand) and printed at our works in Herefordshire. If you would like to know more about the range of mugs we can supply please visit out 'About Mugs' page. (click on the highlighted words to go to the page).
The Rhino Coating is, we believe, the best surface into which we print by sublimation. If you would like to know more about Sublimation read more >> (click on the highlighted words to go to the page).
You can order Promotional mugs (and other products) for your club, business, organisation, etc or even individual personalised mugs.
Our range of customers
Customers of WhitbourneMugworks include:-
- Football Clubs
- Local Political Groups
- Cycle Clubs
- Motor Racing
- Model Aircraft Clubs
- Railway Societies
- Potholing Clubs
- Show Jumping
- Rugby Union
- Canoe
- Dog shows
- Scout Troops
- Food Festivals
- Flying Clubs
- Fishing
- Climbers
- Player Testimonals & Benefits
- Pop Groups
- Artists
- Local Shops
- Music Festivals
- Members of Parliament
- Ice Hockey Clubs
- Nostalgia
- Parish Councils
- Angling Clubs
- Police
- Theatres
- Horse Racing Courses
- Motor Traders
- Rugby League
- Athletic and Running Clubs
- Diamond Jubilee
- Speedway Teams
- Radio Stations
- Skittles
- Sailing
- Local Authorities
- Hunts
- Bat and Trap
- Sub Aqua
- Gyms
- Zoo's
- Schools
- Hockey Clubs
- Preserved Railways
- Tennis & Squash Clubs
- Badminton Clubs
- Guides
- Tourism Industry
- Basketball Clubs
- Prisons
- Churches
- Cricket Clubs
- Historic Planes
- Caving
- Croquet
- Beekeepers
The Rural Thing - a way of life
We mention a few times on this site that we operate from the Countryside rather than a town or city? No reason really other than it is a lifestyle choice that, we hope, reflects a little bit about ourselves. We don't overplay it but we are as eco friendly as possible, making as little harmful impact on the environment as we possibly can.
Our world is important to us so we recycle (including when we can, re-using the packaging that your mugs are delivered to us in, to send on to yourselves), try to work as paper free as possible and indeed try to be a fuel efficient business. We recycle water and avoid chemical pollution (including printing inks) into our drains.
We don't have a cottage with roses around the door - our premises are in fact quite modern - but it is a calm way of life, where we will occasionally get the smell of the farm rather than car exhausts, the sound of a tractor rather than the police siren and occasionally get cut off by flooding.
We are often visited by interesting creatures that will distract us for a few minutes (including a chicken wandering in when the door is open) - but with our way of life we do have that few minutes.
We have a fairly old fashioned approach to business that seems to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the modern City - and yet are fully up to date in operations, reflected in our use of IT and the internet.
It's a lifestyle we have chosen for the family and the workplace. No big deal - we just think it's worth saying.
