The story
Forge, a modern cuisine restaurant near Darlington, sits in The Coach House at Middleton Lodge Estate, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, DL10 6NJ. It holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide, awarded for high quality cooking.
Head chef Jake Jones works with the estate team, drawing on years in some of the most noted restaurants in the UK. Each menu follows the seasons across the 200-acre Middleton Lodge landscape. Ingredients are grown on the estate or reared nearby, and the kitchen also holds four AA Rosettes (2026).
Guests choose between six and ten courses, and both have a vegan and vegetarian version. Recent dishes include Baron Bigod with pickled walnut, medlar and birch syrup, and Amsterdam carrots with buckwheat miso. A bread and butter course is served after dinner.
Forge began as farm buildings for Middleton Lodge. The walled gardens sit between the restaurant and the original estate, and the modern tasting menus are built around what they produce.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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