With his iconic hair and sleeves rolled up, the prolific politician walked into The Royal Hotel Muswellbrook on Friday, December 15 for a drink 'with the boys'.

Pub manager Steve Shaw told the Newcastle Herald a group of 12 were having a function downstairs at the pub and someone with a connection to Mr Johnson had invited him down for a drink.

"They rang him and they said 'why don't you come down and have a couple of wines on the way through' and he said 'yeah I'll be there in 15 minutes'. So he did," he said.

"He had two glasses of Penfolds 389."

Mr Shaw said Mr Johnson walked in relaxed and friendly, and could've been "any ordinary punter."

"He was very genuine and it was just like he was one of the boys really," he said.

He said the Royal had welcomed a few well-known people through its doors from jockeys and horse trainers to footy players and coaches.

"They normally stop in here and have a meal on their way through, but he [Boris Johnson] is certainly the highest profile person that we've had," he said.

"Everyone's gone berserk over it. It was nice to meet him and shake the hand of someone who's probably shaken hands with every leader of the world."

It was a thumbs up from Mr Johnson who seemed impressed with pub cellar, Mr Shaw said.

"He was really impressed with the place, too, which is great for us. His security guys were happy too, they all said it was one of the best places they've been into."

It's understood that Mr Johnson has family and friends in the Scone area, where he last visited in December 2022.