Digby's Café
- Michael Palmer
- Aug 12
- 6 min read
Digby's Café at Sherburn Airfield – Food, Family Fun and Aircraft Views
Digby's Café at Sherburn Airfield is a family-run café with a difference. Located at Sherburn Aero Club near Sherburn in Elmet, the café overlooks the active airfield, giving visitors the chance to enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee or cake while watching aircraft arrive and depart.
The combination of homemade food, airfield views, outdoor seating and family-friendly facilities makes it an interesting place to stop if you're exploring this part of Yorkshire.
We visited Digby's with our 10-year-old grandson Ally, and the airfield was certainly part of the attraction for him. While we were there, we watched aircraft taking off and landing, including a helicopter that took off close by.
For families, aviation enthusiasts or anyone looking for somewhere a little different for breakfast or lunch, Digby's provides an unusual setting.
Digby's Café – At a Glance
Visitor information | Details |
Location | Sherburn in Elmet, near Selby and Leeds |
Address | Sherburn Aero Club, New Lennerton Lane, Sherburn in Elmet, LS25 6JE |
Opening | Monday–Sunday, 9am–5pm |
Café | Yes |
Food | Breakfast, brunch, lunch, cakes and bakes |
Airfield views | Yes |
Outdoor seating | Yes |
Children's play area | Yes |
Family friendly | Yes |
Dogs | Check current arrangements before visiting |
Parking | Available at Sherburn Aero Club |
Aircraft watching | Yes |
Booking | Available |
Nearby attraction | Sherburn Aero Club and active airfield |
Digby's currently lists opening hours of 9am–5pm every day. The café advises that weekends can become busy, so arriving earlier can be useful. (digbyscatering.com)
For current opening information, menus and booking details, visit the Digby's Café website
A Café With a Difference
Digby's Café is located at Sherburn Aero Club beside Sherburn Airfield.
What makes it different from a typical café is the view.
Large windows and the outdoor seating provide views across the airfield, so visitors can watch aircraft moving around the runway and taxiways while they eat or have a coffee.
The café describes itself as offering homemade food, proper coffee and views across the airfield.
The setting means that even a relatively simple breakfast or coffee stop can become something a little more interesting.
Watching Aircraft at Sherburn Airfield
You don't need to be an aviation enthusiast to enjoy watching the aircraft.
Sherburn Airfield is an active flying site, so there can be aircraft arriving, departing and moving around the airfield while you're visiting.
For anyone interested in aviation, the opportunity to sit with a coffee and watch aircraft operating at close range is one of the main attractions.
During our visit with Ally, we were able to watch small aircraft taking off and landing.
Then a helicopter took off nearby, which was particularly exciting for him.
For a 10-year-old who enjoys aircraft, it turned a café visit into something much more memorable.
A Great Place for Aircraft Enthusiasts
Digby's is particularly interesting if you have an interest in aircraft.
You don't need to attend an air show or book a flying experience to enjoy the atmosphere of an active airfield.
You can simply sit outside or by the windows and watch the activity.
Depending on what is happening at the airfield when you visit, you may see light aircraft, helicopters and other aviation activity.
That also means every visit can be slightly different.
Digby's Café for Families
Digby's has several features that make it suitable for families.
There is an outdoor play area where children can spend some time while adults enjoy their food or coffee.
The airfield itself also provides plenty of interest for children who enjoy aircraft.
For younger visitors, there is something to watch and talk about rather than simply sitting at a table throughout the meal.
Our visit with Ally demonstrated that combination particularly well.
He could watch the aircraft, spend some time in the play area and enjoy being somewhere different from a standard high-street café.
Food and Coffee
Digby's is a café first and foremost, with food ranging from breakfast and brunch through to lunch, cakes and freshly baked treats.
The café says its food is prepared fresh in its own kitchen, with locally sourced ingredients used where possible.
Coffee and other drinks are also available.
The current café describes its menu as including hearty breakfasts, sourdough toast, cakes and bakes, alongside proper coffee.
For visitors, that means Digby's can work equally well as a breakfast stop, a lunch destination or simply somewhere to call in for coffee and cake.
Outdoor Seating
The outdoor seating is another useful feature, particularly on a good day.
Sitting outside gives visitors a different perspective of the airfield and provides a good opportunity to watch aircraft activity.
It can also be useful for families, giving children a little more freedom while adults enjoy their food.
For aviation enthusiasts, outdoor seating can provide a particularly good vantage point for watching the airfield.
Where Is Digby's Café?
Digby's Café is located at:
Digby's Café DinerSherburn Aero ClubNew Lennerton LaneSherburn in ElmetLeedsLS25 6JE
The café is beside Sherburn Airfield, approximately 30 minutes from York and around 30 minutes from Leeds by car, depending on traffic.
Its location also makes it possible to combine a visit with other places to explore around Sherburn in Elmet, Selby and the surrounding area.
Parking
Parking is available at Sherburn Aero Club.
As Digby's shares the site with an active aero club, visitors should follow the site's parking instructions when they arrive and avoid obstructing aircraft operations or access routes.
Family Facilities
The combination of food, outdoor seating, a play area and aircraft activity makes Digby's a useful option for families.
Facilities and features include:
Outdoor seating
Children's play area
Family-friendly café
Breakfast and lunch options
Cakes and bakes
Aircraft watching
Parking
Toilets
Booking facilities
The café's own current information describes families settling in for weekend brunch, while the airfield provides an additional source of entertainment for children.
Dogs
Digby's is a popular destination for families and visitors spending time at Sherburn Aero Club.
Dog arrangements can change, so it is sensible to check the current policy directly with the café before travelling if you are planning to bring your dog.
A Good Place to Meet Friends and Family
Digby's can also work well as somewhere to meet friends or family.
The airfield provides something to watch while you sit and talk, and the relaxed café environment makes it suitable for everything from a morning coffee to a longer meal.
It is particularly different from meeting at a conventional café because there is always the possibility of aircraft activity outside.
A Morning or Lunch Stop
Digby's doesn't necessarily need to be the main destination for an entire day.
It works particularly well as part of a wider trip around this part of Yorkshire.
You could call in for breakfast, brunch or lunch, spend some time watching the aircraft and then continue exploring the surrounding area.
That makes it useful for visitors who want to combine food with another attraction, walk or day-out destination.
Exploring More Around Sherburn in Elmet
Sherburn in Elmet and the surrounding area provide plenty of opportunities to extend a visit.
The area has a strong aviation connection, countryside and walking routes, as well as attractions and businesses to discover.
The White Shire's North Yorkshire Attractions guide provides more ideas for places to visit across the region.
For walking opportunities, explore our Yorkshire Walks collection.
You can also find current events through What's On in North Yorkshire.
What's On Around Sherburn Airfield
Sherburn Aero Club and the surrounding area can host aviation-related activities and other events throughout the year.
If you're planning your visit around a particular weekend, it's worth checking what is happening locally before travelling.
The White Shire's What's On This Month guide brings together events from across Yorkshire.
Why Visit Digby's Café?
Digby's Café offers something that most cafés simply can't provide: a front-row view of an active airfield.
The combination of homemade food, coffee, outdoor seating, a children's play area and aircraft activity makes it an interesting option for families and aviation enthusiasts.
For children who enjoy aircraft, there is the added excitement of watching planes and helicopters operating nearby.
For adults, it can simply be an enjoyable place to sit, eat and watch the world go by.
Our visit with Ally showed how easily a simple café stop can turn into something more memorable when you're sitting beside an active airfield.
Digby's Café – Quick Facts
Location: Sherburn Aero Club, Sherburn in Elmet
Address: New Lennerton Lane, Sherburn in Elmet, Leeds, LS25 6JE
Opening: Monday–Sunday, 9am–5pm
Type: Family-run café
Food: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, cakes and bakes
Airfield views: Yes
Outdoor seating: Yes
Children's play area: Yes
Family friendly: Yes
Aircraft watching: Yes
Parking: Available
Booking: Available
Discover More Yorkshire
Digby's Café is the sort of place that fits well with what The White Shire is trying to uncover: interesting places that offer something a little different from the usual day-out destinations.
If you're exploring this part of Yorkshire, discover more through our Yorkshire Attractions guide, explore Yorkshire Walks, or find something happening through What's On in Yorkshire.
The White Shire is building a resource for discovering Yorkshire's attractions, walks, history, events, businesses and places to visit.
Click on the links below to listen to our podcasts
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