Chef Jeff Fairman

Growing up in the farmlands of Pennsylvania, Chef Jeff discovered a deep passion for all things culinary. By the age of 12, he committed himself to becoming a fine chef; and by eighteen, he was immersed in the world of professional cooking. His education has come from working every station in several kitchens -- years of intense study in a classroom better known as "the field". From the beginning, it was clear that his culinary creativity was natural gift and his skills were developing quickly.

Soon, local restaurants were paying attention to his skillful work and at the young age of 21, Jeff was hired as Sous Chef at Osprey, a highly acclaimed 80-seat restaurant in Portland, Maine, serving exciting French classic dishes honoring the legacies of a Parisian Bistro. Under the watchful eye of long-established Executive Chef Ray Peterson, Jeff learned not only the true classical culinary basics, but also how to find inspiration in the ordinary and transform it into the exotic and unexpected. Just two years later, Fairman was working the stoves as Ospreys' Chef de Cuisine.

Chef Jeff's career path led him to several well-respected kitchens in the Portland, ME and Boston, MA areas including International Seafood Traders and Limbo as Executive Chef. He has also served as a chef consultant to several restaurants along the East Coast. Aside from the honor of recognition and accolades from a number of regional publications, Travel & Leisure Magazine, and ABC's Good Morning America, he also appeared on a weekly TV cooking show on Portland, Maine's ABC affiliate, WMTW. He has had the pleasure of "rubbing shoulders" in the kitchen with Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.

Fairman is recognized in the industry as an outstanding culinarian with a clean, honest approach to cooking which allows the true flavors of the food to speak for themselves. His cuisine is whimsical and extremely approachable, yet bears subtle nuances of incredible depth and complexity of flavors.

He has an amazing sense of culinary adventure and wonder. Skillfully, he blends regional and cultural idioms to produce food that is unmistakably his own. He combines tastes and textures in unexpected ways, and the results are sensational. Chef Jeff's cooking style is truly without borders as he practices a brilliant combination of New American, Traditional, and Contemporary styles to include the influences of Asian, Mediterranean, French and Caribbean, to name a few.

His unique and exquisitely crafted seasonal fare is created from the freshest, finest ingredients. Many are sourced from local organic farms, artisan producers, and the Inn's own just-picked garden & greenhouse herbs and produce. He then supplements with the best from around the world. Based on carefully selected products, he designs an innovative seasonal menu every eight weeks presenting tantalizing Creative Contemporary Cuisine.

Chef Jeff has a magical way with food, an imaginative take on the culinary, and a gift for the gastronomic. He deeply loves food, cooking, and the infinite possibilities that he "brings to the table". As he proudly presides over the kitchen at Rabbit Hill Inn, he is expressing his culinary vision with exciting passion and inspiration. He insists that each and every plate be the best it can be... a philosophy that blends perfectly with that of Rabbit Hill Inn.

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