Leisure complex & iconic restaurant near York relaunches

A popular leisure complex located in the village of Bishopthorpe, just outside York, has relaunched following a significant renovation and re-brand which has seen the transformation of the entire site and investment into its popular restaurant, Bosun’s.

Occupying an idyllic location at the side of the River Ouse, the complex is owned and run by local couple, Kerrie and Phil Cook, who completed a full takeover of the site in December 2023. Formerly known as the Boatyard, it will now be known as The Riverfront York and has become a complete ‘stay, play and dine destination’ for visitors.

Alongside the river-based activities, which include boat mooring and hire, The Riverfront York is also home to a 25 pitch Caravan Park, six cosy cabins offering unique stays, a newly installed sustainably built children’s play area, Café Bar, Pizza Oven and Beauty Salon. At its heart, is the highly regarded Bosun’s restaurant led by Executive Chef, Kurtus Auty, who competed on MasterChef The Professionals and previously worked for The Gordon Ramsay Group and The Cliff in Barbados. The restaurant offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy contemporary cuisine in a truly unique location.

The site wide transformation of The Riverfront York has included an upgrade of the caravan park with a new layout, roads and extensive groundworks to improve its amenities and spacious pitches. Each of the six unique stay cabins and houseboat have been extensively refurbished inside and out to offer both comfort and charm. Investment has also been put into flood defences to further protect the entire site along with improvements to access for disabled customers.

Further investment in the caravan and motorhome park shower and toilet block and updates to the electric meters at the pitches are planned for the off-season to ensure facilities are even better in 2025.

The expansion of The Riverfront York has resulted in the creation of new jobs with 30 local people now employed in full time and part time roles and further recruitment plans in place for the coming months, as well as partnerships with local colleges to offer training for its catering department.

Speaking of the relaunch of The Riverfront, Owner, Kerrie Cook said: "We are thrilled to unveil the new and improved Riverfront York. Our goal is to create a destination that celebrates the beauty of our surroundings, while offering unparalleled experiences for our guests. Whether you're joining us for a meal at Bosun’s, staying a while longer at our beautiful caravan and motorhome park or in one of our unique properties or simply hiring one of our boats with your family, there’s so much to offer at The Riverfront York and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors old and new to see what we have created."