Food historian Tom Hughes will give a virtual food tour of the borough on Wednesday, Nov. 15 a 7 p.m., during a Zoom presentation for the Haddonfield Historical Society.
Hughes was raised in Haddonfield with the last vestiges of its farming roots still present. While many people emphasize the town’s connection with the Revolutionary War and the fight for independence, he sees the borough’s true importance in its commercial role during the 18th and 19th centuries, when it brought farm products, craftsmen, and consumers together because of a uniquely situated location.
That role continued into the 20th century and enriches us today, according to Hughes. In 2014, he published “Eats Haddonfield: A Tour of Food Heritage Sites.” His talk Wednesday will focus on that message, the often-surprising connections Haddonfield has to the food industry and culinary heritage, and the places one can visit as reminders of the borough’s true role.
More than simply a tour, though, Hughes hopes to instill in others an appreciation for the food they eat, how it reaches their tables and ways to ensure a healthy food supply. It’s a passion instilled early in his life at home and in his travels to Europe and elsewhere, and one Hughes has tried to pass along to others through a long career in education.
He is the cofounder – with his wife Meredith Sayles Hughes – of the online FOOD Museum and its Global Food Heritage Project. Their travels have taken them to culinary sites all over the world and resulted in publications such as “Eats New Mexico” and the intriguing “Potato Heads: Their Illustrated History.”
Hughes has also gotten attention as head of The Potato Museum, another online venture that has resulted in television appearances and an exhibit at The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Now located in Albuquerque, he will talk turkey, potatoes, and many other foods during his historical society presentation.
More information for the free event can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tom-hughes-program-haddonfield-eats-a-tour-of-food-sites-tickets-751218844787?aff=oddtdtcreator.
