There used to be hundreds of pie and mash shops in London. Now there are barely more than 30. Can social media attention and a push for protected status ensure their survival?
Eastside surge" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 13:35
Think if I was on death row and had to choose my final meal it would be pie mash and licquor , or maybe something in a slow cooker!
Going to try BJs in Plaistow next time I’m down. Never had it.
Highly recommend with plenty of liquor.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 19:49
by MaryMillingtonsGhost
Pub Bigot" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 16:57
Going to try BJs in Plaistow next time I’m down. Never had it.
You've never had a BJ in Plaistow?
You don't know what you're missing mate
Eastside surge" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 13:35
Think if I was on death row and had to choose my final meal it would be pie mash and licquor , or maybe something in a slow cooker!
Imagine being on death row not knowing your fate but one morning you get a bowl of Cheerios for your breakfast .
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:17
Being replaced by halal shops in their hundreds. Sad to see their decline.
HAHAHAHAHA! Heard it all now. The decline of pie and mash is down to the great replacement conspiracy theory.
Don't know if you've noticed but pie and mash isn't exactly popular with the white younger generation, either.
One that used to be in the hundreds is dwindling down to about 40 and one that used to be difficult to find once upon a time is now in the hundreds. It's representative of the folk that live there now with a supply and demand for it. It's not rocket really. All about the demographics and not by sheer coincidence.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 16:57
by Pub Bigot
Eastside surge" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 13:35
Think if I was on death row and had to choose my final meal it would be pie mash and licquor , or maybe something in a slow cooker!
Me too, Kelly’s as well.
Going to try BJs in Plaistow next time I’m down. Never had it.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 16:47
by easthammer
I grew up on Pie & Mash and a lot of other stuff that was cheap back then but which today would probably be sold as exotic high-end fare. For example, brown shrimps which came off the fisherman's van that came round on a Sunday Night. Brown shrimps were cheap compared to prawns and were purchased by the quart. Jellied eels were, of course, also not as expensive or rare to find as they are today. Although they probably varied a bit more in quality, as refrigeration was not so good. The best of course came from Tubby Issacs and family car trips through London would factor this in for the return journey.
Living in East Ham, I was spoilt for choice for Pie & Mash, Moodies by the Town Hall or Cookes on High Street North, the latter being my preference. The big butler sinks out front, reassuringly writhing with fresh eels for the customers to choose for stewing. The juice of which was the main constituent of the liquor. If today you are buying Pie & Mash from a vendor that does not also sell stewed eels, then I would argue you are not getting the real deal. Anyway, in my opinion, Pie & Mash is only half the meal it must have a portion of stewed eels to complete the dish. But to be fair as a kid on a Saturday, funds didn't run to adding eels to my plate. From 2/- pocket money, it was 1/- 3d for Pie & Mash and 9d for Kids in either North or South Bank (no segregation). For those that don't know 2/- = 10p
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:17
Being replaced by halal shops in their hundreds. Sad to see their decline.
HAHAHAHAHA! Heard it all now. The decline of pie and mash is down to the great replacement conspiracy theory.
Don't know if you've noticed but pie and mash isn't exactly popular with the white younger generation, either.
The Guardian (a lefty publication) article references the same phenomena:
"There is an idea that pie and mash isn’t really being eclipsed, it’s just migrating to the suburbs, following on the heels of its former clientele – the white working class of the old East End. "
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:17
Being replaced by halal shops in their hundreds.
I was once told nearly all the meat slaughtered in this country is halal but onlty a small percentage is actually sold as halal.
No idea if it's correct.
It is and it isn't.
The vast majority uses stun which can also be classed as halal but mostly is not.
Non-stun slaughtering is about 3% of the total. All of that can be classed as Halal and Kosher.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 16:25
by One Sunny Day
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:17
Being replaced by halal shops in their hundreds. Sad to see their decline.
HAHAHAHAHA! Heard it all now. The decline of pie and mash is down to the great replacement conspiracy theory.
Don't know if you've noticed but pie and mash isn't exactly popular with the white younger generation, either.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 16:15
by Trilby55
Eastside surge" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 13:35
Think if I was on death row and had to choose my final meal it would be pie mash and licquor , or maybe something in a slow cooker!
Imagine being on death row not knowing your fate but one morning you get a bowl of Cheerios for your breakfast .
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 15:55
by the coming of gary
On the programme Q.I. they said Lobsters used to be served to prisoners
.
Mad Ferret" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 14:44
P&M isn't cheap at all.
And that is the crux of the issue. A poor man's food which has become expensive.
Similar to most sea food.
It is weird to think that oysters were used to bulk out beef stew as they were cheaper.
And goose was what the poor had at Christmas because they couldn't afford turkey.
Oxtail is now expensive because chefs started using it because it was then cheap.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 15:14
by zebthecat
Mad Ferret" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 14:44
P&M isn't cheap at all.
And that is the crux of the issue. A poor man's food which has become expensive.
Similar to most sea food.
It is weird to think that oysters were used to bulk out beef stew as they were cheaper.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 14:44
by Mad Ferret
P&M isn't cheap at all.
And that is the crux of the issue. A poor man's food which has become expensive.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 13:35
by Eastside surge
Think if I was on death row and had to choose my final meal it would be pie mash and licquor , or maybe something in a slow cooker!
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 13:07
by El Scorchio
Eastside surge" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:52
I’m often in robin’s in Basildon and they seem to be thriving think they have five shops now, although slowly but surely the price is creeping up but still good value in my opinion
I think it's an incredible value meal. Almost as cheap as a McDonalds. Probably cheaper in some cases.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:54
by Chinkey Weasel
Cheers Khan
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:52
by Eastside surge
I’m often in robin’s in Basildon and they seem to be thriving think they have five shops now, although slowly but surely the price is creeping up but still good value in my opinion
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:49
by RBshorty
Taste changes. Choice is everything. But you really lost me at The Guardian.!
When some Hipster starts pontificating towards the Plebs. You know you should be paying attention elsewhere.?
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:46
by THUNDERCLINT
Massive Attack" wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026, 12:24
Yeah, I'd question it being that severe but it's certainly been on the rise and seems to be pushed when many indigenous folk don't care for it. Next they'll try to make the Countryside less white..
I think it's mainly due to the ownership of the abattoirs.
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:38
by El Scorchio
On the subject, this is a good little watch
Re: Saving Pie and Mash - the Guardian
Posted: 03 Feb 2026, 12:31
by El Scorchio
Shame really as it's a great good quality cheap meal and proper pie and mash and liquor beats the shit out of trendy wanky places like mother mash or piebury corner- when it was open.
I think it's got an image problem as a meal TBH and generally people look down their nose at it and are freaked out by the liquor for some reason, although when they are usually pretty busy when I've gone. Not many of them are in good places (maybe aside from Manzes or Goddards) to get lots of footfall and are purely 'local' catering to older people. I'm slightly surprised the hipsters haven't ever taken to it actually.
