The main dish sold in these establishments is, as the name suggests, Pie & Mash. The filling in the pie is most often minced beef, though other fillings like pork and chicken might also be available in some shops. The pie is served with a generous portion of mashed potatoes and, more often than not, a type of parsley sauce called 'liquor'.
The Pie & Mash shop featured in the London episode of A Cook's Tour is F. Cooke Pie & Mash in Broadway market. It’s located in Haggerston in the East London borough of Hackney. It was established in 1862, which makes it one of the oldest Pie & Mash houses in London.
After Friday at Smithfield and Saturday attending the awesome V Festival, Sunday was the earliest that I could make a trip to Broadway Market. So I took the tube to Bethnal Green, which was the nearest metro station and walked more than a mile, only to find that the place remains shut on Sundays. So I kicked myself for not checking this on the web and settled for a Doner Kebab instead. Fortunately the day was salvaged later by a visit to one of the oldest pubs in all of London. More on that later.
Not ready to give up on this, I returned on Monday and sure enough, F Cooke was open for business. The place is not very big, with spartan interiors and wooden benches. What to order is not a problem here. The Pie and Mash with liquor comes for less than four pounds and looks like this.
The stuff is admittedly bland, but there's enough malt vinegar and white pepper to add some taste. And although this was not the best food I had in London, it had to be tried for how quintessentially London it is, if nothing else.
Most Pie & Mash shops also serve jellied eels with liquor. In fact the liquor served with the Pie and Mash uses eel broth. Those who've read this blog before would know that this one's right up my alley. But the Pie & Mash was a big portion, so I had to give the eels a miss.
While Fish & Chips steals the glory when it comes to typical British food, it apparently comes from the north. Pie & Mash on the other hand, is traditional Cockney grub that was created, perfected and is enjoyed to this day in London. And now that you've read this, you know where to get it!!
