Paul Foster hits £100,000 restaurant crowdfunding target

Chef Paul Foster has reached his target of £100,000 to open his own restaurant in Warwickshire with just under a day to spare.

Foster, who confirmed earlier this year that he was to step down as head chef at the three-red-AA-star Mallory Court in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, to crowdfund his own restaurant, has now reached £100,118 out of his target of £100,000, with 17 hours to go.

The chef, who joined Mallory Court two years ago from Tuddenham Mill, near Newmarket in Suffolk, hopes to fund Salt, a fine-dining restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, through crowdfunding site kickstarter.com.

In order to achieve funding, Foster has offered a range of ‘rewards' for bidders including vouchers for the restaurant, masterclasses and private dinners. Once the funding is in place, he and his wife Rhiain, a co-director in the project, hope to secure the lease on premises, cover business administration, branding, recruitment and refurbishment fees, as well as the costs for initial stock and soft and official openings.

Foster won an Acorn Award in 2011 and was named Observer Food Monthly Young Chef of the Year the same year. Prior to joining Tuddenham Mill, he worked at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, and Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, and staged at WD50 in New York, the French Laundry in Napa Valley and Auberge de l'ole in Lyon.

Paul Foster's crowdfunded restaurant needs £60,000 with five days to go >>

Chef Paul Foster launches crowdfunding campaign to open Warwickshire restaurant >>

Paul Foster steps down as head chef of Mallory Court >>Are you looking for a new role? See all the current restaurant vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs >>

Latest video from The Caterer