A new cafe overlooking the River Ribble has opened after months of renovation work to transform a disused property.
The Boathouse by The Ribble is located in Alpha Cottage on Riverside, a short distance from the entrance to Avenham and Miller Parks and alongside the Guild Wheel.
Owned by Candice Slater and Paddy Slater, the family-run cafe welcomed its first customers this week following an official opening by Mayor of Preston, Councillor Nweeda Khan.
The semi-detached house had stood empty before plans were submitted to convert the ground floor into an eatery.
The project was first revealed last year and received approval from Preston City Council in January, paving the way for the transformation of the property.
The owners shared their vision for the venue ahead of opening, describing their ambition to create “a place for people to gather for coffee, good food, conversation and connection”.
In a social media post in March, they said: “This building has a long history in the community, and we feel incredibly lucky to be giving it a new life.
“Our hope is to create something warm and welcoming. Somewhere you can meet friends, bring family, sit with a book, listen to music, or simply take a moment out of a busy day.”
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Although the pair had planned a quiet launch, demand quickly exceeded expectations.
Reflecting on the cafe’s first week, they said: “We wanted to softly open without much of an announcement, just so that we could get it right and manage any teething problems. That went out of the window by 10am on Wednesday and it has been crazy ever since.
“We have loved every second of it.”
The owners also paid tribute to their team, thanking them for their “hard work, commitment and dedication” during the busy opening period.
Today (Sunday 14 June), the cafe hosted its first live music event from 3pm, with beer, wine and Cuckoo Spirits available.
To find out more, follow @theboathousebytheribble on Instagram.
