The Boathouse by the Ribble: A New Café by Avenham Park

The Boathouse by the Ribble is an independent, family-run café on Riverside, Broadgate, Preston, just beside Avenham Park.

We created The Boathouse to be somewhere warm, relaxed and welcoming – the sort of place you can stop for breakfast, meet a friend for coffee, enjoy lunch or simply sit for a while and watch the world go by.

From the beginning, we wanted the café to feel like part of the neighbourhood rather than simply somewhere to eat and drink.

A Café That Started Close to Home

The story of The Boathouse is a little unusual.

Our family already lived in one half of a semi-detached house in Broadgate. When the house next door became ours, we transformed the downstairs into the café you see today.

That sense of home has shaped the way we think about The Boathouse.

We wanted it to feel comfortable, personal and unpretentious — somewhere regular customers can settle in, people walking through Avenham Park can discover by chance, and new faces quickly feel welcome.

Breakfast, Lunch and Really Good Coffee

The Boathouse serves a full breakfast and lunch menu alongside coffee, cakes and other favourites.

Whether you’re starting the day with breakfast in Preston, stopping for coffee after a walk through Avenham Park or meeting someone for a relaxed lunch, the aim is simple: good food, good coffee and a place you actually want to spend time in.

Our café has been designed around that slower, more relaxed way of doing things.

No rush. No fuss. Just a comfortable place by the river.

Part of the Preston Community

Community has always been at the heart of The Boathouse.

We believe local businesses can have a positive impact on the people around them — from customers and employees to neighbours and visitors passing through the area.

For us, that means trying to create somewhere genuinely friendly, supporting the local community where we can and building a place people feel connected to.

We hope The Boathouse becomes one of those places people come back to again and again.

Something New Is Coming

The café is only part of the story.

We are also developing our outdoor area into a covered and heated private event space.

Once complete, the space will be available for private hire in Preston for celebrations, gatherings and special occasions, while still forming part of The Boathouse when it isn’t being used for events.

It will give us the opportunity to welcome people in a completely new way, and we’re excited to share more as the space develops.