‘Salt was my dream’: Chef Paul Foster closes Stratford-upon-Avon restaurant

Chef Paul Foster has closed Salt, which was believed to be Stratford-upon-Avon’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, after eight years of trading.

The former head chef at the three-red-AA-star Mallory Court in Warwickshire launched the fine dining restaurant following a £100,000 Kickstarter campaign in 2016, which lasted just 33 days.

Salt took over a 40-cover, Grade II-listed site formerly home to a tapas restaurant and in 2018 it gained its first Michelin star.

In 2019, it also received the Newcomer Award at the Cateys, with judges describing the project as “a top example of total dedication and a great achievement in a relatively short time”.

However, in 2024, Salt lost its Michelin star, which led to Foster swapping his tasting menu offering for a small sharing plates set-up from April last year.

In a short post on Instagram, the chef said: “After eight years that’s it folks. Salt was more than a restaurant. It was a piece of me. Thank you to everyone who made it unforgettable. Salt was my dream. Thank you for living it with me!

“There won’t be a big PR statement, if anyone has any questions or queries I will be discussing it on our podcast the Nightcap Pod tomorrow.

“Please no DMs or comments about vouchers as I won’t answer them. They can only be answered via this email address salt.enquiries2017@gmail.com.”

Foster also closed his first London restaurant, GrassFed in Camden, in March last year.