Forge at Middleton Lodge: 'I ate at Yorkshire's newest Michelin-starred restaurant - and was overwhelmed by how good it was'

There were also stars in abundance on the ground for Yorkshire hospitality this past February from Michelin. Seven one-stars were re-awarded to the 2024 holders, and The Forge at Middleton Lodge, Middleton Tyas, was added to the illustrious, shiny firmament for the first time.

And cheers to The Forge and the lovely Homestead in Goathland, who also received green stars for their enduring passion for sustainability.

So, how lucky was I to have a long overdue invitation in my diary to visit Middleton Lodge and now, the opportunity to see how Forge has reached such acclaim in a short time?

I have visited the estate several times over the years, not just to review but because it is a lovely place to stay, eat or both.

I am always impressed at how calming the estate is and how quickly I forget the world outside.

It is a lovely place to lose track of time, and thanks to the careful, considerate renovation from owner James Allison over the past 20 years, it is stunning throughout, so it's no wonder this is one of Yorkshire's favourite wedding venues, too.

Sustainability is at the heart of Middleton Lodge, from the repurposed, renovated buildings, including the elegant spa that opened last year, renewable energy, and the use of seasonal food from local suppliers as much as possible; they grow an extensive amount of food on the estate and forage locally to keep food miles low.

All this food becomes Head Chef Jake Jones's extensive palette for Forge's and Coach House's menus.

Although this approach is far from new, fewer establishments can execute it successfully in these challenging times for hospitality.

Jake works his culinary magic with two tasting menus of six (£65) and ten courses (£105), which we had; I am the vegetarian, and he is the meat and fish. Wine pairings are £55 and £65, respectively.

I have my usual excitement of a new (to me) chef's cooking, followed by, as usual, quiet panic about whether I could get past six courses or, worse still, not fall asleep if dinner stretches beyond 11pm.

After years of this scenario, I have learned a few rules: hold back on the snacky bits, don't eat too much bread, and sip the wine slowly, but that is easier said than done.

Three just larger than bite-sized bites set us off as potato with goat curd and white beetroot - he has guanciale – there's a teeny pastry case piled up with white Lisbon onions, wild onion seeds and slow-cooked yolk, for me, which I love.

His teeny tart is Scottish crab with dulse, brown crab, and Elderflower, though the promised English wasabi was hard to find. Still, we didn't find it lacking in any way.

But our favourites were English mushroom biscuits, Barncliffe mascarpone and black winter truffles, and a triumph of taste, and we wanted more.

Estate-grown Musselburgh leeks, pumpkin seed miso, cultured buttermilk, a Douglas Fir dressing and forged salad were so tiny it was hard to imagine something so small could hold so much without it becoming a mess of flavour. Not so here, it was exquisite.

The dreaded bread was, as expected, all I feared of a heavenly Forge lemon thyme beer bread served with an Old Winchester custard with Shitake, millet and bay vinegar to dunk chunks of the warm bread in, plus a sumptuous, yeasted butter to slather on as well.

I attempted to pull back, but I admit, bread this good was hard to ignore.

We parted company over the following two courses. A glazed estate-grown Roscoff onion sat in a pool of onion broth with Purslane, and fermented gooseberry was simple, savoury and delicious.

I initially enjoyed a small Greyhound cabbage seared over Binchotan, making it sweetly smoked with a gentle umami hit from Kombu.

On there also was Hen of the Woods, pickled bilberries and a thick, rich green sauce made from the usually wasted, outer cabbage leaves.

Somewhere, halfway through eating, though, I had to stop. The cabbage started to feel heavy after a few mouthfuls, and I thought it was a dish, trying a bit too hard.

The husband, however, feasted on his Kombu ChalkStream trout, sweet Jerusalem artichoke and English sparkling wine and was even happier with his dry-aged Nidderdale hogget, turnip, a mint jelly from the summer of '24 and pickled mustard seeds.

The remaining courses flew by from cheeses with pickled walnuts, medlar and birch syrup; a sweet, crumbly white chocolate tart of Forced rhubarb, a touch of frangipane custard and toasted milk; a Sticky toffee apple, fennel cobnut and ewe's yoghurt.

The final tranche came in petit-fours size and style with Amsterdam carrot ice cream sandwich, buckwheat miso caramel tart, Manjari, and preserved English truffle macaron.

Like the food, the wines throughout the evening were meticulously matched, which was not easy with so much going on.

Two could quickly become favourites: an organic Reserva Branco from Portugal and the excellent Ortega 2021 from Kent.

We had made it through; it was almost midnight, and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. It was easy to see why Michelin and the many diners here on a weekday evening loved it.

I found it rare for a restaurant of this calibre, serving a tasting menu, to have the relaxed and engaging atmosphere as here at Forge; there was no stuffiness, and the service was still impeccable, warm and friendly, and even my constant questions must have driven them crazy when they were so busy.

We chatted about how much there is to enjoy at Middleton Lodge besides the superb food, wine, and impeccable staff, but we realised it was time for bed and to dream about breakfast here in the morning, which, by the way, was excellent.

Welcome 5/5

Food 5/5

Atmosphere 5/5

Prices 5/5