Ed Sheeran celebrates friend’s birthday at the Rumburgh Buck pub in Mill Road, Halesworth, near Southwold, over the weekend

A Suffolk pub owner expressed being pleasantly surprised after Ed Sheeran dropped by for a pint with his friends on Saturday.

The Shape of You superstar was spotted at The Rumburgh Buck pub in Mill Road, Halesworth, near Southwold, to celebrate his friend’s birthday.

Stella Cattermole, who runs the family-owned pub with her husband, said she did not realise they would be serving Ed until an order for chips and scampi came through to the kitchen.

She said: “A friend of his booked a table for lunch. They came in around midday, and just before 2pm, someone ordered food.

“When the order came through, we didn’t know who it was for. Little did we know it was actually for Ed Sheeran, who came in after 2pm with his wife.

“My husband, who is a chef here, said ‘I can’t believe I just cooked for Ed Sheeran.”

Stella, who described Ed as a down-to-earth guy, said he did not hesitate to pose for photographs with customers.

“Some customers that were in here wanted photos and he didn’t mind having selfies taken”, said Stella.

“He was just such a nice and polite guy. Nothing seemed too much trouble for him.

“He asked for wi-fi to watch Ipswich Town play on his tablet.”

The singer-songwriter, who grew up in Framlingham, stayed in the pub until around 6pm where he even managed to pour a pint at the CAMRA-awarded business.

Stella added: “I think this is really great for Suffolk. He stays local and brings money into the county.

“He has kept to his roots, so I think it’s great. I don’t have time to listen to all his music, but I think Castle on the Hill has got to be a classic.”

Stella, who also managed to squeeze in for a photograph, said the pub was buzzing with customers the following day.

However, this is not the first time Ed was spotted enjoying his time in Suffolk.

Last month, he was pouring pints and singing in the changing room alongside Ipswich Town’s players.

He also celebrated his seventh number one album by visiting a Stowupland Fish and Chips shop.