New Leadership at Maine Fine-Dining Landmark White Barn Inn, Auberge Collection, has appointed Executive Chef Cornelia Sühr to lead its kitchen this autumn. The appointment marks a significant transition for the Kennebunk property, which has operated as a culinary destination for over 50 years since its 1973 transformation from a working barn into a fine-dining restaurant. Sühr brings credentials from some of Europe and America's most acclaimed kitchens. Her career includes roles at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester and The Savoy in London, The Carlyle in New York—where she became the hotel's first female Chef de Cuisine—Jean-Georges Philadelphia at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, and most recently The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller in Florida.
Coast Line & Forest Menu Strategy Sühr's signature tasting menu, priced at $250 per guest with an optional $125 wine pairing, traces a progression from Maine's Atlantic coastline through the state's farms and forests. The menu relies on fermentation, preservation, smoking, and live-fire cooking techniques applied to peak-season ingredients. The current menu features three primary seafood courses: halibut with razor clams, potato, and dill; Stonington lobster with Parisian gnocchi, sea beans, and fennel; and Jonah crab with celeriac, green apple, and chervil. Each dish weaves classical French technique—including preparations like moules marinières and Provençal bourride—with locally sourced ingredients.
Chef's Perspective "Maine offers an extraordinary culinary landscape, from the cold Atlantic and its abundance of seafood to its farms, forests, and beautiful yet fleeting growing season," Sühr said. "My goal is not to disguise these ingredients, but to give them a stage. I want our guests to experience Maine through the menu while weaving in my own European background, techniques, and perspective. Ultimately, I want the food to have a distinct sense of place while remaining elegant, modern, and deeply personal." The menu continues to evolve with seasonal availability throughout autumn and winter months.
Supporting Culinary Programming White Barn Inn complements the tasting menu with additional on-property experiences including The Art of the Petit Plateau, Shell & Shore Oyster Shucking and Tastings, The Macallan Whisky Tastings, and Farm-to-Cocktail Classes. The property operates two restaurants: the fine-dining White Barn Restaurant and Little Barn, a casual eatery focused on local Maine farmstead and fisheries.
Why It Matters
The appointment represents a strategic refinement for luxury hospitality properties seeking to differentiate through chef-driven cuisine rooted in regional identity rather than trend-chasing. Sühr's combination of European fine-dining rigor and commitment to Maine's specific terroir positions White Barn as a destination restaurant rather than a hotel amenity, a critical distinction for operators competing in the luxury coastal leisure market.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
