Pie & mash - a traditional delicacy from the heart of London

Well after all this gallivanting about, in foreign parts, it’s back to native shores, but continuing with the maritime theme for a while, last Thursday saw Matthew and I take a trip up to Greenwich. If anywhere epitomises Britain’s long, proud, and enduring sea-faring history, then it’s Greenwich, situated on the south bank of the River Thames and steeped in maritime tradition, with its Royal Naval College, and that well preserved survivor of the final days of sail – the Cutty Sark.

The ship was the fastest and most elegant of the “tea clippers” that raced back to Blighty with their precious cargoes of tea – literally all the way from China. Whilst we did indeed take a walk around Greenwich’s most famous ship, now lovingly restored after the fire that devastated the vessel in 2007, Matt and I were in that part of London on a different mission namely, to sample a culinary delicacy which the city’s Cockney heartland is famed for. I am referring of course to “pie and mash” - an east London staple since Victorian times, and possibly even prior to that.

Now it might seem strange that someone, who was born in London, and whose grandfather was a true Cockney (born within the sound of Bow bells), had never once sampled the dish which, more than anything, personifies the capital in all its glory, but until last week pie & mash remained a mystery to yours truly. I think it might have had something to do with the jellied eels, another Cockney delicacy, and one which invariably features on the menu of a traditional Pie & Mash shop, but having once tried eels, many years ago and in a totally different context, I would not be averse to eating them again. 

I’m not sure about the rest of the family though, and whilst Mrs PBT’s comes from south London stock, on her mother’s side, both her and Matt have baulked at the idea of eels. Matthew had some time off from work last week, so with me starting my return to full fitness, we decided to take the train up to the big smoke and break our pie and mash duck. I conducted a bit of research prior to our trip, and whilst Mrs PBT’s recommended Manze’s with their shops in Bermondsey and Peckham, Goddard’s of Greenwich seemed a little more accessible and also easier to find.

Goddard’s it was then, and after checking the company’s website, we headed up to the capital for a quick and easy train journey to Greenwich, via London Bridge station.  Goddard’s was about 10 minutes’ walk from the station, close to a local park. With its green-painted exterior it looked as if it might once have been a pub, and this look extended to the interior. The white tiled walls, bare wooden floor, plus the basic tables and chairs gave the place a utilitarian feel, and having arrived shortly before 1pm, Goddard’s was heaving as it catered to its hungry lunchtime customers.

We joined the queue, and soon saw how things worked. You place your order at the counter, pay for it, and your food is then plated up in full view, before you scurried off to find somewhere to sit – having first grabbed you cutlery. There are five choices of pie & mash with liquor or gravy, plus a cup of tea (Rosie Lee), all for just £5.50. We both went for the minced beef pie, and liquor – the most traditional option, and carrying our plate of food, plus mug of tea, gingerly made our way upstairs.

There was a lot more room on the first floor, and also plenty of free tables, so we grabbed one next to the window, and settled down to enjoy our food. The pies are all handmade, and are freshly cooked each day, as is the mashed potato. The “liquor” is a type of parsley sauce, and certainly has the correct green colour. Some pie & mash devotees say that liquor is made using the water which the eels are cooked in, but I haven’t been able to substantiate this claim.  Customers can have gravy instead, if they prefer, and I may go for that option next time, but as I said, we wanted the whole authentic experience to begin with.

The atmosphere inside the shop was buzzing, as it was packed full of hungry customers, all taking advantage of its incredibly cheap lunches. The mixed clientele, ranged from builders and contractors, students, tourists, local people, and casual visitors such as us, all enjoying a tasty and value for money lunch. We shall certainly be making a return visit and will also be trying out one or two of the other pie & mash emporiums that London has to offer.

If you can’t visit in person, Goddard’s offer a mail order, where the food is packed into insulated boxes, along with ice packs, and then dispatched using a next-day delivery service. I’m certain that several other pie & mash shops offer a similar service, so there is no excuse for not giving this traditional London delicacy a  try!