Fine dining returns to this rustic-cool estate near Richmond at The Forge restaurant. Kathryn Armstrong heads off on a food adventure.
If you like your dinner to be as much about anticipation and what these days might be called ‘a journey’, then settle in for a gentle and memorable dining ride with chef Jake Jones as your guide.
The destination is The Forge at Middleton Lodge, an estate near Richmond which is a magical spot in itself. Arrive in the dark and a trail of twinkling lights helps you make your way towards The Forge, a subtle building nestling within a cluster of gentle honey-coloured stone properties which accommodate overnight guests.
Tumbling trails of herbs, wildflowers and evergreens set the rustic scene and across the lawn you can see the rest of the estate which is home to The Coach House restaurant and spa.
The walled garden is in sight too and where many of your menu’s ingredients will have started their growing journey to then be picked, perhaps pickled, primped and most definitely pampered before finding their way your plate.
Outside of The Forge a huge firepit sends crackling flames into the night sky and adds to the sense of expectation. As I said, it’s a journey. Then calm and capable staff invite and settle you in, and the Forge force is with you.
Chef Jake Jones has an impeccable pedigree – Michelin-starred L’enclume, was one of his kitchen staging posts so that ethos of field-to-fork is firmly entrenched.
It means that his ten-course menu is full of treats, mouthwatering morsels and grand surprises along the way. There is a wine pairing option but we didn’t opt this time. Instead, we shared our menu with Katie Jones. She’s an easy-going wine from the Languedoc and it was great to spend time together! Ten courses means heaps of ingredients, techniques and garnishes that could start to hurt your eyes. So how about the highlights?
Everything on every plate is a work of art – the delicate Thumbelina carrot tartlet looked like a vibrant flower with petal-like slivers of petals over punchy ingot cheese sea buckthorn.
A potato chunk with Guanciale, an Italian cured meat and a dab of leek puree was a dream mouthful (world’s poshest chip?).
Flavoursome chalk stream trout arrived in gentle broth decadently topped with caviar, I think this what you call a very elegant dish, preceding as it did a very hearty and wholesome bread course.
They should scale this up as a lunch dish in itself. Full-on Yorkshire, it was Jorvik blond bread – made with Jorvik ale - then served with two sensational butters – chicken butter and fennel pollen - and a bowl of Old Winchester ‘custard beer’ - a kind of cheese soup with shitake mushrooms to dip that bread in. Unreal! And a tasting menu punch after those elegant courses that had gone before. Plus, a little glass of Jorvik Blonde to drink alongside. Highly entertaining and delicious.
Next up it was back to soft, delicate and decadent with a softly cooked chunk of cod, translucent in its frothy English sparkling wine foam – the wedding frock of the menu.
The menu promises to pay homage to the estate, the county and the seasons, so a next course of dry aged roe deer brought us right back to winter comfort food with rich shades on the plate and deep and delicious flavours. It was stunning piece of fillet with pine fronds, celeriac and berry jus. My personal favourite.
A cheese course fazed me with its assemblage of frozen blue cheese morsels with oats and honey but the beautiful dark chocolate tart-like structure (for that was definitely the word) that followed was out to wow with a lovely hazelnut crunch and artichoke and Filey Bay whiskey in the mix.
Quite the experience is the only way to describe the tasting menu. What’s lovely about The Forge is that, yes, Jake’s food is serious, but there’s wit and wonder along the way which makes for fun at the Forge too.
Restaurant open Thursday to Sunday evenings from February 9. Ten course tasting menu, £95pp, wine pairing, £90pp, created in collaboration with Barrique Fine Wines.
Middletonlodge.co.uk
