Award-winning chef to head up new restaurant in Derbyshire

Adam Jones was named one of the country’s most promising chefs aged just 14 when he won a national competition that saw him cook for hundreds of people in Scarborough.

Most recently the 29-year-old, from Golden Valley, near Riddings, has worked at East Lodge in Rowsley, The Red Lion in Bagthorpe, The Swan in Milton, and for a multi-million pound casino chain in Sheffield.

He took ownership of The Dog at Pentrich, which was named Marketing Derby’s Restaurant of the Year in the 2022 Food & Drink Awards, before taking the job at the Fork & Furrow; the new restaurant at the White Hart Inn, in Moorwood Moor.

Adam says that the challenge of making the eatery one of the best field to fork restaurants in Derbyshire is what attracted him to the Fork & Furrow, which will open to the public on Friday, April 7.

“The White Hart is a great venue and the quality of the restaurant needs to match that,” said Adam, whose signature dish is the hand-dived scallops that will feature on the Fork & Furrow’s debut menu ‘because of its simple but bold flavours’.

“I want to put The Fork & Furrow on the map. We’re surrounded by stunning countryside and I want to showcase the amazing produce that we have here in the East Midlands.

“I would like the restaurant to achieve Rosettes and eventually, a Michelin star. But the number one priority right now is to make the Fork & Furrow a destination for a special occasion. I want to feed the customers, not our ego.”

The Fork & Furrow will debut a seasonal menu using local produce from the Derbyshire area, including bread from The Loaf in Crich, meat from Tibshelf-based butcher Price & Fretwell and fresh fruit and veg from Field Supplies in Etwall.

Diners can enjoy a tipple produced by award-winning White Peak Distillery, from Ambergate, and beers brewed at The White Hart’s sister pub, The Canal Inn, in Bullbridge.

“I’m really proud of the menu we have created at the Fork & Furrow,” added Adam. “With the restaurant opening just before Easter, there will be lamb on the menu. Our lamb, though, will be a modern twist on a traditional classic. It will be served with Clotted Cream mash, which is simple and yet delicious. We will also have an extensive gluten free, vegetarian and vegan menu.”

Décor will be chic and sophisticated with dark wood furniture, wooden partitions entwined with plants, modern lighting, a zinc bar and unique preserved moss feature wall giving it a cosy, earthy feel.

Although the restaurant will take on a completely new look, where possible, the existing furniture will be upcycled to complement the new décor - and the Sunday Roasts that the White Hart is famous for will remain a menu staple.

Bookings can be made online at whitehartmoorwoodmoor.co.uk