Saltine in London’s Highbury to close

Saltine in London’s Highbury is to close this month after two years of trading as a result of the tough trading environment for small restaurants.

In an announcement on Instagram, founders Mat Appleton and Jess Blackstone (pictured), alongside head chef Phil Wood and general manager Jenna O’Neill, said: “After two beautiful years, we’re sad to announce we’re closing Saltine. It hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s the right time for us and the team. We’re so proud of what we’ve built in that former chicken shop, and we hope you’ve loved it as much as we’ve loved making it. What a wild ride!

“The climate for small restaurants is a tough one – tougher than Covid – and though we would love for the Saltine story to be a longer one, short stories are sweet too. We’ll be keeping the space open for events and parties for the time being, while getting stuck into some other exciting projects within the business. However, Saltine as we know it, is coming to an end.”

The announcement comes amid many hospitality operators criticising last month’s Budget for adding more cost pressures to an already strained industry. Blackstone herself recently said of the market: “Nothing is not more expensive, but at the same time there’s a kind of energy in the industry.”

Saltine was launched by the co-founders of north London coffee shop business Fink’s in late 2023.

At the time of its launch, then Evening Standard food critic Jimi Famurewa praised the restaurant’s “deft, grown-up indulgence”, who wrote: “Every now and then, as at Saltine in Highbury, the thing that has me hurrying back can be explained as nothing more complex than pure, animal greed.”

Saltine will close after its final lunch service on 21 December.