London’s pie and mash makers say Cockney favourite needs special status

Rick Poole grew up in his family’s pie and mash shop in London, the oldest of its kind still in operation today. Now a campaign to give the traditional dish protected status is giving him hope his business will continue to flourish for years to come.

Pie with mashed potato and parsley liquor has been enjoyed by the Cockney natives of east London since the first shops appeared there in the 19th century.

Back then, the pies were filled with eels as they were cheap and plentiful in the River Thames.

The eels have long been replaced with minced beef but jellied eels are still available on the side.

“It gives you a good feeling knowing that you are keeping this tradition alive for over 120 years,” said 61-year-old Poole, director of M. Manze, who owns several shops including the flagship in Tower Bridge which retains its original green tiles and furniture. The family took it over in 1902.

Poole said protected status would give businesses like his some security as it would stop others from falsely claiming they were making the dish in the traditional way.

Britain, like the European Union, grants protected status to food and drink that come from a defined area or follow a specific recipe as a guarantee of authenticity. Cornish pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Blue Stilton cheese are well known examples.

Campaigners, including from the Modern Cockney Festival, are calling on the government to grant Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status to the London meal.

Rather than being a geographic label, TSG means products must use traditional methods of production or follow a traditional recipe.

All pie shops have their own unique recipes. But environment minister Daniel Zeichner has said that all producers would need to agree on a common recipe in order to receive the status.

Andy Green, founder of the Modern Cockney Festival, said the label would not only give shop-owners a “sense of belief that they are guardians of a culture” but may also boost the dish’s global recognition.

He said he hoped a decision would be made next year.

Poole’s daughter Emma Harrington, who is also a company director, said generations of Londoners had been brought up on pie and mash. “It’s in their blood and their heritage,” she said.