Food and Cultural Identity in the London Borough of Hackney

Hackney is an inner city London borough situated to the north-east of the City. It is a large borough - approximately 7.5 square miles in area - and has a diverse population. This paper presents a practice-led research project that engages with Hackney’s diversity through food. Using ethnographic research methods to gather texts and images relating to the experience of eating within Hackney, the analysis of this data has led to the development of Food Miles, an experimental book that offers the reader an interactive, spatial experience that enables both a local and global reading, thus reflecting the complexity of place.