Empty plot over the winter - to cover or not

Straw works well for us, but it does let a lot of slugs overwinter. We have quite a few hedgehogs that help out thank heavens.

I bedded all my veg plot in straw one winter but found the ground really slow to warm up in the spring. So much so, that I ended up pulling back the straw to the edge of the beds for a few weeks before planting. Having said that, the soil underneath, though cold, was delicious!