Maine Chef John Hughes Earns National Restaurant Association State Service Award

Renowned New England Chef John Hughes, Executive Chef and Owner of Kennebunk, Maine's Windows on the Water restaurant, has been named a state winner of the National Restaurant Association's (NRA's) Restaurant Neighbor Award. The award announcement was made today by Dick Grotton, President and CEO of the Maine Restaurant Association (MeRA).

"This important NRA award honors chefs and restaurateurs for consistently going above and beyond in giving back to their communities," Grotton noted. "Chef Hughes is a credit to Maine for his active role in so many neighborhood efforts and charity events here in our great state."

Hughes' energy and success have long extended beyond the kitchen walls of his award-winning restaurant. The talented chef plays an active role in sustainable agriculture efforts, and is a leading proponent of Maine's increasingly influential "Farm-to-Table" movement.

Having co-founded "Community Harvest" in 1999, Hughes has been able to grow his 501(c)3 organization to an impressive degree. In addition to offering monthly dinners and warm companionship to people of all ages at his monthly Harvest Dinners, Hughes and his Community Harvest team also prepare and host Thanksgiving and Christmas day dinners for hundreds of guests each year in southern Maine. Hughes' Community Harvest group also makes annual home deliveries on these two special holidays. This home delivery service on Christmas and Thanksgiving fills an important need in Kennebunk neighborhoods, in that organizations like Meals on Wheels don't deliver on these holidays.

Additionally, Hughes continues to spearhead efforts to donate annual scholarships for local students who have demonstrated a commitment to community service, as well as an annual scholarship awarded to a local recipient who has shown an interest in the culinary field.

Hughes next will be a candidate for the NRA's national Restaurant Neighbor Award, to be announced September 24th at the NRA's annual Public Affairs Conference in Washington, DC.

"I was pleased and excited to learn that the National Restaurant Association had recognized our community outreach efforts here in southern Maine," Hughes said. "Receiving word that our Community Harvest group is seen as really making a difference provides even more encouragement for us and our growing number of volunteers from throughout our state."

"For years now, Chef Hughes and his restaurant team have really raised the bar when it comes to genuinely serving Maine communities," Grotton added. "We salute him and his team of dedicated volunteers for having earned this special award, and wish them the best of luck in September's national award ceremony."

About John Hughes:
A favorite dining destination among Maine residents and visitors for over two decades, Kennebunk's renowned Windows on the Water restaurant continues to "wow" patrons and food press alike with Chef and Owner John Hughes's innovative New American Cuisine, award-winning wine list and flawless service. Hughes, long considered one of New England's foremost chefs, continues to earn widespread acclaim throughout the region for his creative, high-energy, seasonal American cuisine. Chef Hughes offers dynamic menu selections which incorporate only the freshest and most seasonal of organic and all-natural ingredients. His popular "What's Cookin'" newsletter, sent to several thousand enthusiastic subscribers each month, illustrates his firm commitment to sustainable agriculture, quality ingredients, and the importance of offering genuinely relaxed and enjoyable dining experiences. In addition to numerous television appearances and favorable reviews he has to his credit, Hughes also earned appointment to the prestigious Master Chefs Institute of A