A Cape Fear-area chef who left a lasting mark on Wilmington’s dining scene is stepping away from food service.

When Dave Herring closed his Sea Salt Bakery in Hampstead on June 1, he ended a 20-year cooking and restaurant career that included founding Wilmington’s popular Sweet & Savory restaurant.

“It’s going to be hard to be completely out of the [food service] business,” Herring said with a smile and an admission that “I’m still open for consulting and concept [development].”

“It’s too hard,” Herring said of his reason for closing the bakery, 17011 U.S. 17, which opened in summer 2010. The physical labor of kitchen work is taxing, the recession has hurt sales and working the bakery provided the gregarious Herring limited contact with people, he said.

Herring said he has accepted a paper sales job and is considering a position as a culinary school pastry arts instructor.

Herring came to Wilmington from Burlington as a University of North Carolina Wilmington student majoring in business. He met his wife, Kimber Herring, here.

The couple moved out of state for a time, and along the way, Herring earned a degree from the respected Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

The Herrings opened their first Sweet & Savory in Hampstead and then grew into the restaurant’s current location, 1611 Pavillion Place. The Herrings sold the popular Sweet & Savory in 2004, and the restaurant has since added The Pub at Sweet & Savory in the building next door. Sweet & Savory became known for its open kitchen/bakery, hearty breakfasts, homemade soups and rich desserts.

During his early career, Herring also worked at Oceanic and Bridge Tender. Soon after selling Sweet & Savory, he became a business partner in Mason’s Haunt, 3315 Masonboro Loop Road. That causal upscale restaurant closed in 2010.