Chef/owner Ben Elliott

In 2009, after 15 years as a chef in some of Boston and San Francisco’s most prestigious restaurants, Chef Ben Elliott struck out on his own to restore the 10-acre farm that his grandparents built in the 1940s and to spend more time with his wife Julia and their young family. In the years since, Ben has overseen all elements of the farm-to-table journey – playing an active daily role in planting, harvesting, preparing and serving his cuisine. 

Intent on finding a way to do what he loved while balancing life outside of work, Ben began working as a private chef cooking in people’s homes, many of them Concord friends and neighbors. In 2011, Ben launched his own catering company, which allowed him to share his love for cooking and the flavors of his family’s farm with an even wider audience. Since then, he has expanded the catering team so that he can continue to bring the highest level of personal service to his clients’ most memorable life events like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.During this time, Ben also established a cooking school at The Little House, an English-style cottage located on the farm. A natural teacher, he and his team realized how many people loved learning more about cooking and connecting with other enthusiasts. The intimate classes, with menus often featuring ingredients from the farm and highlighting techniques ranging from making fresh pasta to braising to pie dough, offer a unique farm to table experience. 

In 2015, Ben further expanded with the opening of Saltbox Kitchen, a restaurant that is also home to his microbrewery Saltbox Brewery, in the heart of West Concord. A cozy space offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it quickly became a favorite spot in the community- perfect for meeting a friend for coffee, grabbing a post-work  beer, or enjoying a date night dinner out. 

Ben began his career with time spent at La Folie and the Fifth Floor under Chef Laurant Gras in San Francisco and Locke-Ober in Boston. For several years he worked with chef Barbara Lynch in Boston as Chef de Cuisine at No.9 Park, opening Lynch’s demonstration kitchen Stir, and launching Lynch’s catering company 9 at Home as Chef de Cuisine.  

A native of Wayland, MA, Ben has called Saltbox Farm and Concord, MA home since 2004.  Before moving to the farm, Ben spent summers tending to it alongside his grandparents.  Ben attended Hartwick College in New York, where he met his wife Julia. He and Julia have 2 children, Sam and Maggie.