Celebrate in Style on The Matthew of Bristol!

The Matthew is available for private hire from Tuesdays to Sundays during our operating season between April and October.

The Matthew is not available for private hire between November and March as it is undergoing its annual maintenance programme during the winter months, plus as an outdoor venue with very little shelter, it is too cold and wet to make for an enjoyable trip for either guests or crew outside of our operating season.

The ship is closed on Mondays throughout the year.

See the trip information above for all the details about ship hire and catering costs.

You can choose a private trip around Bristol’s Floating Harbour (with or without catering) or you can hire the ship for a static event at our usual mooring at Princes Wharf. Or a combination of the two!

Please note that the Avon Gorge Cruise is not available for private hire events. Your private hire trip will not leave Bristol Harbour.

A private hire trip on The Matthew will take you on a trip around Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour – you’ll sail from (and return to) our mooring at Princes Wharf, taking in the beautiful harbour between Prince Street Bridge and The Pumphouse/Junction Lock.

Please note that the Avon Gorge Cruise is not available for private hire events. Your private hire trip will not leave Bristol Harbour.

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The Matthew can accommodate up to 40 people for a cruise or 50 people for a static hire. Please note that this includes small children and babies.

Our maximum capacity is strictly enforced due to licensing and insurance restrictions.

Please contact the office should you require more information.

GET IN TOUCH

The Matthew is not licensed to hold civil marriage or civil partnership ceremonies. However, we can accommodate blessing ceremonies to celebrate your marriage or civil partnership.

Please note that a blessing ceremony is symbolic only – it is neither legally binding nor a legally recognised marriage ceremony.

PRIVATE HIRE ENQUIRIES

Whilst we would love to be able to accommodate all occasions, we are sorry but we do not take private hire bookings for stag or hen parties.

Please note that we do not take private hire bookings for any all-male or all-female groups: If you proceed with a booking for an all-male or all-female group without informing The Matthew office of your intentions, we reserve the right to cancel your trip without notice, and your group will not be permitted to board the ship.

We have a fully licensed, cash-only bar on board which will be open for the duration of your private hire. The bar is stocked by local wine merchants Averys of Bristol, with beers and ciders supplied by Bristol Beer Factory. Soft drinks and hot drinks are also available.

As we are a licensed venue, we cannot allow any alcohol on board that has not been purchased from our bar, nor do we offer corkage options. Alcoholic drinks cannot be taken off the ship – all drinks purchased from the bar must be consumed on board.

BAR LIST

Generally no, we do not allow passengers to bring their own food on board the ship. However, we can make exceptions should you wish to bring your own birthday cake, for example.

Please ask us about catering options when making your enquiry.

The Matthew Menu
1. Fish & Chips
2. Sausage & Chips
3. Battered Sausage & Chips
4. Meat-free Sausage & Chips
5. Battered Meat-free Sausage & Chips

Allergen information
• All batter is made using a gluten free recipe
• The chips are gluten free
• The meat-free sausages contain celery
• Some items may contain nuts or traces of nuts, flour and other allergy-associated products.

The caterer for our 2025 season is Salt & Malt, who provide a gluten-free menu:

“Our signature batter is 100% gluten free. We have a completely separate fryer for any products containing gluten, and different utensils are used. This means there is no cross contamination in regards to gluten. We pride ourselves on this, and are suitable for coeliacs.”

Allergen information
• All batter is made using a gluten free recipe
• The chips are gluten free
• The meat-free sausages contain celery
• Some items may contain nuts or traces of nuts, flour and other allergy-associated products.

Please note: Neither The Matthew of Bristol nor our outside caterer will be liable for any allergic reaction or illness that may occur as the result of attendees with allergies consuming food or being close to food supplied by either party.

That depends on the length of your hire period! The majority of our private hire trips are between one and two hours long. Please discuss with the office if you require a longer hire period.

At the end of your private hire, The Matthew crew politely requests that all passengers disembark promptly when the ship arrives back at its mooring and it is safe to do so.

Your trip will go ahead as planned if it is raining or overcast. We will only cancel a trip in the event of extreme weather or if there are strong or gusting winds as it can be dangerous to manoeuvre the ship in the harbour under these conditions.

If we do need to cancel your trip, we will endeavour to let you know as far in advance as possible. If you have not heard from us (either by phone or email) then your trip will be going ahead as planned, so please arrive for your trip around 10 minutes ahead of your start time for boarding.

Please be aware that a decision not to sail may be made by the Captain immediately before the trip if he has any safety concerns.

BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

The Matthew is an outdoor venue with very little cover or protection from the elements. As it is an open, uncovered ship, please dress for comfort according to the weather – bear in mind that you will be more exposed to the weather when out on the water.

It can feel colder than it does on the quayside if it's windy, and more exposed to the sun if it's sunny. We recommend you consider bringing an extra layer, waterproofs, and/or sun protection! In the event of rain, we have large umbrellas that you can use.

Please wear comfortable, preferably flat, footwear. We strongly discourage stiletto heels as these can be dangerous in the event of an emergency and will also damage the wooden deck.

The Matthew is wheelchair-accessible. Boarding is via a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the main entrance (1000mm gate width) and a 710mm wide gate in the bulwark (the side of the ship). The crew will also be on hand to help you if needed.

However, please note that we do not have accessible toilet facilities. The toilets on board are below deck down some very steep steps. Guests with restricted mobility are advised to use public toilets elsewhere before boarding the ship.

The Matthew is not a seated vessel and so is best suited to informal, standing events.

However, the crew do put out occasional seating for our trips and there are other areas around the ship where you can comfortably sit.

Yes, we do have toilets available, but usage is restricted:

• The onboard toilets are available for use by passengers on trips where food and drink is consumed.

• The toilets are not available to use when the ship is static – visitors are advised to use the public facilities elsewhere before boarding the ship.

Accessible toilets: The Matthew is built in a traditional way with steep ladders between decks and so does not have accessible toilet facilities – the toilets on board are below the main deck down a set of steep steps. Passengers with restricted mobility are advised to use public facilities available elsewhere before boarding the ship.

Well-behaved dogs are generally welcome on board for private hire trips. All dogs permitted to board must be kept on a short lead and under your control at all times.

However, if you want to bring your canine companion on your private hire trip, please be aware that ultimately, the Captain is responsible for everyone on board the ship, so it will be his decision when you board whether or not your dog can board with you.

Reasons that your dog may not be allowed on board include, but are not limited to:

• There are already several other dogs on board.

• Your dog is not well-behaved around other people or dogs.

Your understanding is appreciated.

Things to consider if you want to take your dog on a trip

1. There are no doggie toilet facilities on board! When the ship is underway you will be unable to disembark until we return to the mooring at Princes Wharf.

2. Depending on your length of hire, you may be on board for some time. Please be aware that your trip may be a long time for your dog to be happy on a small ship with limited shelter (and no doggie toilet facilities), especially when the weather is either very warm or very wet.

3. Is your dog trained and well-behaved? Owners who bring their dogs on board should be mindful at all times of other passengers and the crew on the ship.

Service animals are always welcome.

We don't offer commentary on any of our trips. However, you are invited to ask our knowledgeable volunteer crew any questions you have – they love to talk about The Matthew, John Cabot and local maritime history and will be very happy to answer as best they can.

The Matthew doesn’t have a sound system on board, but you are more than welcome to bring your own music and portable speakers to play on your private hire trip. However, please be aware that when the ship is underway there will be no power available to plug in to, so you will need your own battery pack.

Passengers may only disembark at our mooring outside the M Shed. Unfortunately, you will be unable to disembark the ship at any other point around the harbour.

No. For the comfort of all of our passengers and crew and because the ship is almost entirely constructed of wood, smoking is not permitted anywhere on board The Matthew. Vapes and e-cigarettes are also not permitted.

Please see our dedicated FAQ page or contact the office for more information.

FAQs

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