Proper Pie & Mash (An East-London Classic)

Pie & Mash is a truly classic British dish, especially popular in England, and more so London. East London to be even more precise. This is partly down to tradition, but also because it simply tastes great.

If you’re new to traditional British grub, or just not so familiar with famous London food, you’ll be glad to know that you’re about to learn all about one of the ultimate British classics, Pie & Mash.

What Is London Pie & Mash?

The traditional Cockney dish that is Pie & Mash consists of a scrumptious meat and gravy filled pie, accompanied by a good helping of mashed potatoes. A proper London pie and mash differs from the pie and mash typically eaten across the rest of Britain, in that it tends to be more humble in appearance and taste, and is traditionally filled with minced beef and onions, and smothered in parsley liquor.

Pie and Mash from London’s East End is a dish that goes back hundreds of years. Originally, the pie filling was actually eels rather than beef, caught from the River Thames. Over time, eels became more expensive and the pies started being filled with meat instead. These days, jellied eels are still often eaten alongside a classic Cockney pie and mash, whereas vegetables are typically served with pie and mash from a British pub menu.

What Makes The Best Pie & Mash?

Aside from quality ingredients and being made in the East End of London, the best traditional pie and mash is made as follows:

The pastry – a flaky pastry for the lid and a suet pastry for the bottom of the pie. The flaky pastry should be, well, flaky. But also golden, light and crispy.

The filling – minced beef and onion (although more modern fillings include things like steak & kidney or chicken & mushroom).

The mash – needs to be smooth, buttery, and well seasoned. The odd lump doesn’t hurt and keeps it authentic.

The liquor – should be flavourful and have a distinctive green colour, ideally made with fresh parsley.

What To Eat With Pie & Mash?

It’s most traditional to eat a classic London pie and mash with a sprinkling of table salt and white pepper. Malt vinegar or chilli vinegar are also great additions. Parsley liquor is also traditionally served with a truly authentic pie and mash, not to mention jellied eels. At least, this is what’s dished up with pie and mash in East London.

Pie and Mash Liquor (Sauce)

Despite what the name suggests, the ‘liquor’ served with pie and mash contains no alcohol. Cockney liquor is actually just a parsley sauce with a distinctive green colour, originally made from the liquid (stock) in which the eels for the pie filling were originally cooked. Parsley liquor is still served with pie and mash today, at least in the most traditional establishments…

Where To Eat The Best Pie & Mash (in London)

What were once upon a time called ‘Eel Pie Houses,’ are today known as Pie and Mash ‘shops’. The most traditional and best of these are naturally in East London, closely followed by the nearby county of Essex.

You’ll find Pie and Mash shops right across Britain, but the ones in London’s East End are the places to go for a truly quintessential British food experience.

The very best Pie and Mash shops still have traditional Victorian style decor, most importantly, white and green wall tiles and green seating, not dissimilar to the colour of the parsley liquor.

These are widely considered to be the best places to eat classic Pie and Mash, starting with the most traditional in East London:

M Manze

87 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TW

105 High Street, Peckham, SE15 5RS

226 High Street, Sutton, SM1 1NT

Eastenders Pie & Mash

171 East India Dock Road, Poplar, E14 0EA

F. Cooke

9 Broadway Market, E8 4PH

150 Hoxton Street, N1 6SH

Maureen’s Pie n Mash

6 Market Square, Poplar, E14 6AH

Goddards at Greenwich

22 King William Walk, Greenwich, SE10 9HU

Noted Eel and Pie House

481a High Road Leytonstone, E11 4JU

Manzes

76 High Street, Walthamstow, E17 7LD

BJ’s Pie & Mash

330 Barking Road, Plaistow, E13 8HL

Castles, Camden

229 Royal College Street, NW1 9LT

Piebury Corner

3 Caledonian Road, N1 9DX

209-211 Holloway Rd, N7 8DL

Mother Mash

26 Ganton Street, W1F 7QZ

Cockney’s Pie and Mash

314 Portobello Road, W10 5RU

Battersea Pie Station

Lower Ground Floor, 28 The Market, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RE

Regency Cafe

17 – 19 Regency Street, SW1P 4BY

Putney Pies

2 Putney High Street, SW15 1SL

Harrington’s

3 Selkirk Road, Tooting, SW17 0ER

Cockneys of Croydon

51 Frith Road, Croydon, CR0 1TB

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