In an Instagram statement confirming the closure, Foster described Salt as ‘more than a restaurant’.
“After eight years that’s it folks,” he said.
“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!”
Foster gave no reason for the closure, but added that he would be discussing it on his podcast, The Nightcap, which he co-hosts with Shakespeare Creative director Si Alexander.
Foster, whose CV includes stints at Restaurant Sat Bains and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, launched Salt in 2017 after raising £100,000 via a Kickstarter campaign.
The 18-cover restaurant became the first in Stratford to gain a Michelin star in 2018, which it held until 2024.
It also received 3 AA Rosettes, which is awarded to restaurants that have ‘achieved culinary standards that demand national recognition well beyond their local area’.
Salt’s tasting menu specialised in modern British seasonal cuisine.
Sample dishes included stuffed chicken wing with local morels and chicken fat sauce; Cornish cod with coco beans, creme fresh and lovage; and Yorkshire strawberries with yoghurt and brown butter shortbread.
In 2023, Foster expanded to London with steak-focused restaurant concept GrassFed in Camden’s Hawley Wharf development. However, it closed after less than a year.