07/08/2026
Signing up for a position at a new restaurant takes guts. Now imagine that new restaurant lacks any semblance of a real kitchen…no fryer, no range, no flat top, no walk-in. Limited storage in upright commercial fridges and freezers, two ovens, an induction burner, and a couple lowboys. These three have been spearheading our food program at The Abbey since day one and have consistently been putting out the best bites we’ve ever had in our lives.
These hurdles in the kitchen are the reason only one or two chefs can be on the clock at once. It means we get Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods orders every single day and we prep daily for that service. It means we do a lot of cold prep which is why you’ll always see some form of tartare, ceviche, crudo, etc. on our menu. To our team, it also means that the limited food we can put out should always be the absolute best. The best quality, the best flavor, and definitely something that you just aren’t likely to make at home.
Carlton agreed to be our head chef when The Abbey was just a bunch of scribbles in our notebooks before we had told anyone else we were working on this crazy idea. Kayleigh and Sean quickly joined in. He has that quiet, kind, gravitational pull that makes people love learning from him and working alongside him!
Kayleigh is our champion of using up ingredients that don’t have a home and turning them into something incredible. She’s one of the main reasons we have virtually zero waste.
Sean is an absolute joy to work with. He is a force when it’s busy and we love watching him meticulously work through a full screen. He is our quiet but mighty backbone, always keeping us grounded, and always coming up with the most unique dishes rooted in his love of nature.
We wouldn’t be what we are without them as well as the other amazing chefs we’ve been lucky enough to work with ever since those first days. 🩷🍽️
