Chef Paul Welburn to depart the Cygnet restaurant at the Swan Inn in Oxfordshire

Paul Welburn has revealed plans to leave the Cygnet restaurant at the Swan Inn in Islip, Oxfordshire, where he is chef patron.

He has handed in his notice and will be leaving in February 2025 to pursue new challenges in Cornwall.

Posting the news on Instagram, he said: “What a three years at the Cygnet. Achieved so much. Four months left cooking at the Swan then Cornwall bound... and I look forward to finding the next venture.”

Welburn launched the Cygnet restaurant in December 2022 with Nina Gray and Nicole Patrick, the directors of Migg Inns. It has since earned three AA rosettes.

He told The Caterer near the time of the launch: “Cygnet is me on a plate. Modern flavours, but popular ones, not too out there. The format and price make it less of a destination place, more approachable, unpretentious.”

Welburn was formerly executive chef at the Oxford Kitchen in Summertown, Oxford, and head chef of the now-closed Rhodes W1 at the Cumberland hotel in London, where he retained a Michelin star for five years.

The Oxford Kitchen also won a star in 2018, which it kept until it rebranded as 215 Kitchen & Drinks during the pandemic.