The Dairy Barn in County Durham

Staff unfriendly and ice cream too expensive at 3.50 for a cone, of average ice cream. I had salted caramel and no caramel or salt. Friend had mini eggs and thought it was plain vanilla .

Our first time visiting and we'll be back. A lovely location and amazing food to boot. We had the Mega Breakfast Wrap and the Sausage and Bacon Sandwich with added poached egg. It was reasonably priced and the portions were perfect. Definitely will be returning here for the food and the lovely staff.

Food and cakes are unreal, sit in or takeaway

Popped in for coffee and cake. Huge portions. Very tasty !!! Friendly welcome. Lovely outdoor setting.

Orderd food yesterday it was ok!, we've had better for cheaper. Place was heaving, far too crowded at front door because of icecream station.no control over que.people bumping into eachother and girls trying to bring hot food through where we have to stand to be served,accident waiting to happen! spent £63 on food and cakes for family of 5. I orderd chips on side, they came back and tasted of old oil. Asked a young girl if we could have diffrent ones that weren't burnt please. Older woman came over and said your chips weren't burnt they doing you more. 1 do not tell me the chips were burnt! They were.( wished I took photo as they were black and stale lol) That was rude as you didn't need to come over to say that. Tried your cakes last night,, yes they look gorgeous but taste bland, synthetic. I wasnt going to reveiw but thought no it needs a review, I've noticed you are far too defensive on your responses on other reviews on here if anyone complains the slightest bit. It's feedback to better your service/ food so you don't get 2 star reviews. It's unprofessional. Most of your cutlery was so dirty we had to ask young blonde girl for more! I also had to clean table, Discusting. check cameras if you don't believe me) Iv been a couple of times but will not be back.

Chaotic both inside and outside. Yes it was half term and I'm sure they are geared to that, but honestley where ever you stood at the counters, you were in the way. I went through my order twice with the cashier assistant to make sure it was right. Then took my receipt to the ice cream counter and gave my order for the flavours of ice creams. 5 ice creams ordered and (double checked with cashier) to be told I'd only paid for 4. Well that was their mistake not mine. Also ordered snack food and gave correct table number for picnic bench we were sat on outside. Waitress came out with food and went to every table with our order. Soup by this time was getting cold. Large numbers on tables so not sure what her problem was, we had to shout the waitress over to finally get our order. Have been before to this venue but probabaly never again, there are many more organised places than this one.

Amazing food as always. Staff are really friendly and always very chatty and helpful. Food is outstanding! Really good prices and variety. The cake are DELICIOUS!

Cosy place for a coffee or light lunch

Bit of a secret place though look Union flag and can't miss it parking ok and restaurant pretty good. Worth the visit

Lush cafe with fantastic food and good atmosphere. Always too stuffed to have desert! So glad you can take away too

This was 2nd visit, 1st visit hot chocolate was lukewarm and toasted sandwich was hardly toasted on outside. This visit cutlery was dirty and toasted tea cake was again hardly toasted, still white which I wouldn’t class as being toasted. Don’t think there’ll be a 3rd visit

Cooked breakfast was excellent, our order was forgotten in the kitchen so after a while we enquired , they refunded all our money then still fulfilled the order

First visit for breakfast as they always looked lovely on their fb page. One large breakfast and one small vegetarian breakfast with teas. You can tell everything was fresh using top quality ingredients. Didn’t have to wait long even tho they were busy. Food red hot. Well worth the price. Very clean and easy ordering. Friendly staff. We will definitely visit again. Came home with cakes and cheesecake for later!

Went to the Dairy Barn for my birthday on Saturday as a surprise as my partner had been following online for a while. The french toast I had was lovely and despite an issue involving ice cream and incorrect menus, we were offered a good resolution from the manager. The main downside however was there were poor options for people who have a nut allergy. Most of the waffles and pancake toppings had a nut concern and an option like strawberry's would have been great!

We were looking for somewhere to get something to eat as the place (Potters World) had a power cut and we were hungry. My Mrs found this place , so decided to give it a try. It was easy to find and plenty of parking spaces. The staff were very cheerful and helpful. We ordered food and drink, and everything turned up hot and well cooked. If I’m critical, portion size for the loaded fries at £9 was a bit small, although they were very nice, but compared to the other foods served, they were slightly over priced. An all day breakfast would have been brilliant. The pancakes and waffles were really good value, and the cakes on the counter were stunning. I’m dairy intolerant, so going to the “Dairy Barn” was always going to be tricky. We’d definitely go again. The play park was a bit of an added bonus for our Granddaughter.

First visit with family. We gave it try after another venue we were at had a power cut and could not serve food. We all ordered something different and were all happy with our food and the service. The pancakes are particularly good. On the way out I purchased three cakes to take home, a fruit scone, Bakewell tart and fresh cream strawberry tart. The next day I was going to eat the strawberry tart but my husband noticed it was mouldy on one side. We both put a comment on their Facebook page and suggested they check their stock. Both my husband and I were promptly blocked from their page. Would think a business would want to at least apologise and acknowledge an error but they obviously prefer to bury their head in the sand. If this had not have happened my review would have been 4 or 5 out of 5 as our visit was pleasant and we all said we would have returned. Unfortunately now we will not now.

Mmm, we enjoyed a lovely last minute trip to The Dairy Barn today. The Pistachio and White Chocolate waffle was delicious. The waffles are freshly made to order and there’s always a fantastic choice of ice creams for our children. We were served by Zak who was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating of our children’s very specific requests. It was cold but we still managed a play outside too. Thank you!

Went late afternoon with grandchildren it was quiet apart from staffs children apparently running riot it wouldn't have bothered us if the adults didn't make such a big thing about it amongst themselves. Found the food overpriced and the average at best but top prices very disappointed don't think I'll be rushing back anytime soon

We were looking for a nice place for breakfast not too far from where she lives, the dairy Barn caught our eye instantly and had a lot of great reviews The food was very nice. The sausages & bacon were lush and the eggs Royale was also very good. The sweet waffles with banana and caramel were outstanding. The coffees are also excellent. On a side note the hash browns were a little strange for me. Very slight let down with the hash browns but overall a very good place for breakfast, we will be going again.

I go there with a gentleman I support the staff are always welcoming as is the owner lyndsay the food is really good The cafe itself is rustic and cosy with a log fire and beautiful Christmas decorations The staff are absolutely fantastic helpful and kind They work hard at keeping the cafe running smoothly well done to everyone 🎅🎄

We regularly go for breakfast, but this time was first time since redecorating and christmas decorations up. Food as good as ever, staff as friendly as ever, it's always service with a smile and always time for a chat. Atmosphere great, it was a cold morning and the log burner was very welcoming. As well as breakfast visits, I've been with colleagues for lunch and the food, staff never fail to deliver.

Finally made it to the Dairy Barn today for a spot of lunch. The location is outstanding, great views from the barn all around. Great welcome as we entered, advised to grab a table and place order at counter when ready. On walking thru the place it immediately felt warm and cosy. We decided to have 2 specials, Yorkshire Pudding Wrap with Beef and a Pigs in Blanket Bun plus a Salmon and Cream Chesse Bagel - well we were not disappointed at all. It arrived fairly quickly and it was worth coming for. The portions were generous, extremely tasty and we really enjoyed it, have to say the amount of beef in the wrap was plentiful. We even got to see Father Christmas. Now that we have been we will be going back for more...

The cafe has a glorious view over the Wear valley towards the hills and has some outside seating for good weather days. It is a busy place even out of season, well known locally I think. Our visit was part of a group visit. The service was somewhat chaotic, with mistakes and significant waiting time, but in all fairness there were quite a lot of us arriving within a short time. However there were quite a number of staff and it has plenty of tables, so not sure why the service was as confused as it was. One unfortunate couple had ordered Afternoon Tea in advance but the staff seemed unaware of this and it seemed to send them into a bit of a panic. I did get a refund for stuff I hadn't ordered that was added to the bill. The food was good though not excellent, tasty enough, but no salad dressing put on the salad, the fries were very tasty. The star of the show was the ice cream, which was excellent.

We really like the Dairy Barn BUT the top of the slope as you go through the archway is dangerous. It's very rough and uneven. Our young granddaughter tripped on it. If we hadn't been short of time l would have gone back to complain. She really scraped her knee and tore her trousers. Beware anyone who is a little unsteady on their feet or in a wheelchair. No other entrance to use.

Fantastic cakes coffee and food really 😋

Lovely food in a really nice setting

Love this spot. They have a fab little play area for kids and the food is always tasty. The cake display is amazing. My only quibble,....and it cost them a star is that if you order food and coffees together you often are almost finished the food by the time coffee arrives.

Went to the dairy barn for afternoon tea for my works baby shower. The manager (Lynsey I think?) was so helpful and accommodating, nothing was a bother. The afternoon tea itself was delicious and everyone commented on how tasty it was. They provided us with take away boxes to enjoy the rest at home because we couldn’t eat it all. All the staff were super friendly, efficient and helpful. They even put some banners and balloons up and made the peach Melba’s blue for our baby boy, totally unexpected and so thoughtful! I would highly recommend!! Thank you!

Poor girls were run off their feet

Set in countryside, miles of views in most directions. Hot roast bun, with chips a s gravy was very good.

I cant rate the food, I didn't end up buying anything. I was at the counter waiting to be served and the senior member of staff asked the kids to serve. All they could do was argue amongst themselves as one said I'm going home the other said I'm not doing it and the third kid just ignored me. I told the senior member of staff they were arguing as who had to serve, she just sniggered. I had seen enough and walked out. The senior member of staff saying quick quick the customer is going to walk away. Then I left. Absolutely shocking behaviour by the kids, also I thought the senior member of staff should have done something.

Just wow. The food is great, there sweet treats are brill

Fantastic ice-cream and cakes in a cracking setting, definitely recommend.

Went for breakfast. First visit, won't be the last . I was very happy that I could customise my breakfast . Sausage was delicious . Amazing assortment of cakes and ice-cream . A gem

Lovely place for a catch-up family/friends.

We had a lovely breakfast this morning, very tasty and generous portions. Very good value for money. Cafe was clean and tidy, music playing quietly with a nice atmosphere. Service was great, staff were friendly and attentive. Cakes looked delicious but we were all too stuffed from breakfast! Thank you.

Omg the best milk shake ever 😋 the cakes are absolutely surperb

I have been to the dairy barn many times and every time I’ve been recently the service has got worse and worse. On Saturday I visited with my friends, I ordered the soup and a sandwich. When the orders came, 3/4 orders were wrong. One being my friend is a vegetarian and her sandwich had meat in it. When my order came it was the wrong sandwich and the “soup” looked absolutely vile. It looked like someone had thrown up in my bowl (please see image below). How they could serve that I have no idea?! I did end up saying to the staff it was inedible and they did give me another soup even tho they told me there wasn’t another one. Please see my picture below of the “soup”.

We were delighted to encounter an enclosure of alpacas as we made our way to the cafe! What a wonderful treat it was to pet and hand feed these beautiful, well cared for animals. The menu was a limited 'Alpaca' menu on this occasion, and I opted for the steak sandwich and fries. The steak was 'pulled' so very soft and tender, in a rich gravy. The small cardboard box of fries seemed a little pricey for the amount contained but they were nice enough. My companion had an enormous fruit scone with jam and cream - so big she couldn't finish it. Another pleasant visit, with the added pleasure of meeting those gorgeous alpacas!

Had a breakfast which was delicious would definitely recommend. Can’t wait to try a selection of the cakes

Lovely icecream didn’t have for so can’t comment on that.

Just discovered this place on my doorstep!! Food choice was a good variety hot food sandwiches ice cream pancakes. There was also vast choice of cakes to eat in and take away. Nice outside area fabulous views.

Cheesecake was amazing. Very good quality and food selection was very good.

Great location , stunning views, nice cafe

The farm itself is lovely, has stunning views, and is a great place to bring children. The food is satisfactory. I must admit I like the fact the tuna jacket isn't coated in too much mayonnaise, as sometimes this can be overpowering, but the potato itself was just okay. The staff are pleasant, and the outside area is nice.

Nice location great ice cream definitely bring my car along to another of the classic car meets

Lovely food lovely staff don't take any notice of the bad reviews can not fault the place lovely surrounding countryside

We saw the Dairy Barn as we passed and decided to get lunch. Wow it was delicious between us we had tomato soup and a cheese scone and quiche if the day, salad and coleslaw with a hot drink each. It was delicious if we weren’t going home tomorrow we would be back.

Not keen on the full English breakfast, that was a let down and gutted you don’t do fried eggs on the breakfast! 100% the best cakes though! Worth the journey for that :)

We had breakfast here and we left a little disappointed because as good as these pancakes look they were not edible. 3 people couldn’t eat 4 pancakes. They were very very thick and sticky, after every bite you had to take a sip of water in order to swallow them. My older son had a small breakfast and the bacon was very very dry. Same with the sausage. The coffee was very good so is the view from this cafe. I wouldn’t go there to eat next time, I would go maybe for an ice cream, coffee and the view.

The Dairy Barn js in a rural setting in North Bitchburn, Crook. Was cosy. Quite big inside. My hubby and I came for lunch & I had bbq chicken, bacon& cheese panini with a side salad & tea; hubby had cheese n onion panini with a glass of milk £18.40 which isn't too much! Puddings looked good and tempting, but saving for special occasions, which I think I'd come back to The Dairy Barn The atmosphere was good. There is a kids playground outside & tables. The slope down is wheelchair friendly, but getting it up might be a bit of an effort!

Came for breakfast, the barn was fairly busy but we placed our order and it was delicious infront of us within 10 minutes. The full English was delicious and the bacon sandwich was packed with bacon! Service was lovely, and there was a lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be back! Thank you!

Popped in this morning for breakfast, had a full English and bacon sandwich which were both lovely! Coffee was great, service was great, couldn’t fault it!

Lovely soup and sandwich . Staff very pleasant and helpful. Road a bit bumpy!!!

I was so disappointed on our last visit which is awful to say because I'm a regular user of the dairy barn and normally can't fault the place. On arrival a huge rat ran from the premises onto the playing field, ( inform so I'm well aware rats are around) but We were there three hours in total and our lunch plates were still on our table even though we got puddings after our mains, and they didn't take a plate. When I asked if they could be moved a lovely girl came and started to clear but never came back for the remaining 5 plates and dishes. My sundae came about 35 min after everyone else's but I had to return it as there were huge bits of strange tasting ice in it. I did get a refund at the time or offered another pudding but as everyone had finished I just took the refund. It was maybe a bad day because several people were returning meals or having issues with one thing or another. Such a shame as we all normally love it here .

We came across The Dairy Barn thanks to a post on social media when we were looking for a dog friendly tea room and thought we'd call in on our way back from The Lakes. There are a number of tables outside with a nice little play area for the kids. Inside, the barn is really clean with some tables having lovely views over the fields. We didn't sample the meals but did opt for a couple of their cakes and they were lovely, and huge! Even for someone with a very sweet tooth, I would even say they were a little too big - never thought I'd hear myself saying that! Price wise, they were very reasonable and we'll definitely be back to try more of their food. Unfortunately, I have had to change my review of The Dairy Barn due to the fact they no longer allow dogs inside. This is apparently due to some dog owners being inconsiderate to other users and the premises in general. If that is the case, deal with them and don’t punish us responsible dog owners. If children are noisy inside, would they ban all children? In reply to the owners response, yes it is YOUR business and YOUR choice, likewise it is MY choice to change my review based on the fact I am longer welcome to eat inside with my dog. I could have completely deleted my initial post but wanted people to know that the cakes were nice on the occasion we were welcome. As stated previously, you have decided to tar all dog owners with the same brush due to some who don't treat others premises with respect.

Full of noisy kids and slow service In answer to your reply it was by no means ‘full’ and the service was slow and somewhat shambolic. Won’t be returning - and I’m sure you’re going to have some snarky reply to that as it seems you like to do that if people have an issue with your business having seen some of your reply’s to criticism on here and Tripadvisor

I made the mistake of visiting on something called Llama day where there is a small group of llamas on display and a special llama menu of kid-friendly (very cheap, very basic) food. Every child in County Durham was queuing up inside the cafe to get their ice cream, moaning and squirming and the queue was really long. The staff were working as quickly as possible but it was a really stressful experience. It took me 26 minutes to get a really horrible chocolate frappe and a really lovely cheesecake to take away. I will wait until the summer holidays are over and the menu returns to normal before I go back.

Staff so so rude. Don’t bother. Wasting your time travelling or going. Food obviously nice as seen in photos but not with it if staff don’t have any customer service skills. Rude.

Decent tasting cakes, not a huge fan of the Fancie but the Biscoff Blondie was perfecto. First time trying at one of the car events, pretty long queue which is understandable, although service could have been more organised but appreciate it looked like teenagers with first jobs working. Ice creams were great too!

Lovely sat in sunshine watching Alpacas. Nice sandwich and good coffee. Very child friendly

Wont be returning in a hurry Seeing family in crook so decided to walk the 3km to go after being before Considering how popular this place has become it still has a long gravel road to get to it, I have a knee injury so bad enough but anyone in a scooter or with a pushchair forget it Service was abrupt, demanding a table number not asking, when the girl did take the order took them almost 10 minutes to make a cup of tea I saw at least 5 staff members and was far from busy. Would hate to see these staff working in a coffee shop Shop I work in, we are making 100 plus coffee per hour and none of my customers was more than 75 seconds unless a mistake was made

Absolutely amazing cafe, the food was delicious, just a bit too much for me. Excellent, very busy but still amazing, fast service! Play area, fantastic only recommendation is fixing the crack in the tunnel, other than that, amazing!! Would 100% visit again. I really like the cheesecakes and chocolate cakes, but half the size and half the price would be amazing. 💜

First time visit and will definitely be back. A real gem, clean and friendly , great choice and prices. Granddaughter enjoyed the play area and we enjoyed the view.

Came to the free classic car event Very busy and the many many vehicles turned up and created a varied mixed display from Triumph to Ferrari and a few motorbikes Birds of prey display was also a nice feature with knowledgeable handlers Due to the amount of people the cafe was busy but the staff coped well. Due to the queue I couldn't access the toilet and to be fair only wanted to wash my hands after my delicious milkshake and ice cream tub Looked outside if they had a water tap for a quick rinse even for a tap for doggy bowl top up Thankfully a well prepared friendly car enthusiast gave me a wet wipe to resolve my issue Haven't been for many years and they have invested in better access and pathways Cake portion size still looked amazing Very happy with a milkshake and ice-cream on this lovey summer evening

Lovely setting with stunning views. On this occasion there were 4 of us came for breakfast, this isn't our first visit so I'm pleased to say we weren't disappointed. The next time we visit we will have to try the cakes as the selection looks amazing.

The Dairy Barn serves fab food by fab staff and whats more has fab views too.

Nice food with excellent views over the valley. Driveway to the carpark could be better.

Slow service need organisation food good if you can wait it will hopefully improve as time goes on have been twice

I visited here a on a week day with my friend and our experience was judt how we wanted it. Very picturesque, lovely sooth atmosphere. However we visited again with my family and grand daughter (1 year old) at the weekend and oh my goodness it was full to the rafters had to wait to be seated, the noise was a bit overpowering, just from the amount of people. Our omfood order came out wrong, chips where cold and the staff where so rushed off their feet that everytime we wanted to catch someone about the food they where busy sorting others out. We just left it in the end. My advise is choose wisely when to visit. 🤷‍♀️ lovely place but weekends can get manic.

Lovely coffee shop with great selection. Staff very friendly.

First visit and wow so much choice fabulous grandchildren loved it

The food was okay, the poached eggs were very over done.

What an absolute gem of a place I have discovered - takes all my will power to just go once a week ........

Difficult to find but, definitely worth getting there for the obscenely huge cakes. Service at the counter was chaotic but the staff were very nice. Nice play area for the children too.

Service not the best the cakes are amazing the views are outstanding

Fantastic cakes, good atmosphere, and great customer service.

Good food, polite staff and good prices. We will definitely be back.

Really lovely cafe, but quite a lot not in off the menu. We had paninis as a second choice. Ice cream was very good, and staff were friendly.

Nice enough but very poor veggie choices

Lovely cakes, food is standard cafe type foods, some are quite expensive. Nice little place, out of the way, will be lovely in summer. When it's windy I wouldn't sit outside. Friendly enough staff.

Lovely little place to have some food or just a cake or icecream.

Called in to purchase some "sweet treats" take-out for us & a friend. The Ferrero Rocher cheesecake was in a "foil / plastic container" about the size / shape of a small chocolate eclair. The cheesecake filling was just plain (cream cheese & cream?) the only Ferrero Rocher reference was 2 pieces of the FR choc bar on top with a drizzle of choc sauce & nut nibs!! Paid £5 for this one underwhelming dessert ... very very disappointing ... over-priced & over-rated 😠

The menu has been refreshed since I was here last, and pleasingly so. Although the 'Toasted Brioche Gelato Burger' didn't appeal, I love the quirky idea of it! A simple (rather small) cheese and caramelised onion chutney panini made a pleasant lunch today, served with salad, coleslaw and crisps (£7.00). We can also recommend the ice creams - chocolate, raspberry ripple, and lemon cheesecake. £3.50 for one scoop is very expensive. A two or three scoop helping, while still pricey, is better value. Cheery surroundings, lively family-friendly vibe, and friendly staff.

Really nice place, lovely staff & service, warm and cosy with excellent views. Disabled parking right by the gate, but, very steep access, not too sure if I'd recommend it for a wheelchair.

Having driven for over an hour for a Mother's Day treat, we were disappointed that when we arrived at 1pm, the cake fridge had a very limited section and was almost empty (apart from blueberry tarts). Surely they should have ensured they had enough stock for a day that was always going to be busy? Our lunch was nice enough but the pie was just a regular supermarket pie, which was disappointing. The chicken, cheese and chorizo wrap was lovely. The staff were fantastic though. If we lived closer, we would certainly go again, but unfortunately it's not worth the drive.

Friendly staff. Lovely food, especially cakes

A very disappointing visit the food was OK nothing outstanding and not great presentation,after eating the children were taken outside to play and ended up covered in bird poo I don't know why the children's play area is so filthy we won't be returning

A Perfect Spot if you like a Country View. You may need to book at Busy Times, though there's a Summer outside Service Too. The Food is very Tasty with a Vast Array of Sweets. A Play Area for Children ideal for Family Treats.

Love visiting here - cakes are amazing!

Really nice place to have an ice cream in the summer and look over the beautiful views. The cakes are amazing too. Loved the peach melba

Busy quite noisy. Found table easy.lots of tables had not been cleared. The assortment of cakes looked lovely and tempting . Menu is available. I enjoyed it. . You can book afternoon tea..

Booked afternoon tea today, absolutely beautiful,staff very friendly,food gorgeous and plentiful,will definitely book again .

The food on the afternoon tea was amazing. The cakes sold here are to die for. Will definitely like to return again and will some time in the future.

We love this place year round but at Christmas time they go above and beyond! Staff were amazing, the only place around that have not gotten greedy with Santa visits! You pay for the child only and as many parents/family members can go in and see the magic in their kids eyes unlike many other establishments in the area that also charge for parents to take the kids to see Santa! Food is 10 out of 10 and the cakes are out of this world. Very reasonably priced for how amazing the Santas living room set up is! Also the Santa is fantastic! Can not believe they get the actual real Santa to come down from the north pole 😉

We stayed at the Tree House and had breakfast at the Dairy Barn one morning. Also bought some delicious cakes to take out. Very friendly staff, good service, and tasty food.

Nice little place but cakea wwr very dry and no presentation at all very basic place wudnt go again

I had the corned beef pie mushy peas and gravy it was really nice, didn't manage to eat it all as the portion size is big. Pie was a little to peppery for me but I still managed to eat it. Would definitely recommend and will be back again

First time calling in here but it won't be the last, all of our meals were very tasty next time I will be trying the cakes which looked stunning

execellent food, and can definitely recommend the eggs benedict, especially if you add some extra crispy bacon! Great views and friendly service, worth a trip out for a great breakfast or lunch with a surprising range of items on the menu.