Pie and Mash in London: The Shops, the Liquor and How to Order

Pie and mash is a minced-beef pie in suet pastry, served with mashed potato and a pale green parsley sauce. Time Out calls it London's original street food, and the shops that serve it have a look all their own. Early recipes used eel or mutton, but for the last century the filling has been minced beef under a heavy suet crust.

It is also a shrinking tradition. Wikipedia records five closures in 2025, though a few newer shops have opened, including Barney's in Walthamstow and Bush in Shepherd's Bush. F. Cooke's Grade II-listed shop on Broadway Market is now an eyewear shop. Harrington's in Tooting has also closed. That gives a visit a small sense of purpose.

What liquor is

Liquor is the parsley sauce, and it has nothing to do with alcohol. Sources describe it as a pale green parsley sauce, or a parsley-based liquor. Time Out says the good stuff has the right consistency and a vivid green colour from fresh parsley. You will usually also find chilli-infused vinegar on the table, which is worth a splash.

How to order

The routine at M Manze, set out on the shop's own site, is the template for most of them. You queue, order and pay at the counter, then carry your plate and cutlery to a free table. It is not a place for waiting to be seated.

• Order in units. Menus work in pies and scoops, so a pie with one scoop of mash is the standard order.
• Go double if hungry. A double mash means extra potato. Double and double means two pies and two scoops.
• Eels are optional. They are served stewed or jellied, as a side or on their own.
• Carry cash, just in case. One guide reports that BJ's is cash only, and that you can swap mash for chips there. Check before you go.

The shops

M Manze, Tower Bridge Road

At 87 Tower Bridge Road, SE1, this is the best documented of them all. Visit London calls it London's longest continuously running pie and mash shop. Sources disagree on the opening date, so the safe line is that it has been in the Manze family since 1902. It is Grade II listed, and Time Out picks it as the best in south London. Borough is the nearest station named in the notes, about 800 metres away.

The official hours are Monday to Thursday 10.30am to 5.45pm, Friday 10am to 6.45pm, Saturday 10am to 7.45pm and Sunday 11am to 2.45pm. Monday to Saturday takeaway is available for up to 15 minutes after closing. Expect to pay roughly £10 to £13 for pie and mash, and check before you go. Ignore third-party listings with different hours.

M Manze, Peckham

The Manze family's other south London shop is at 105 High Street, SE15. Time Out calls it south London's finest. The same official page lists Monday 11am to 2pm, Tuesday to Thursday 10.30am to 2pm, Friday 10am to 2.15pm and Saturday 10am to 2.45pm. No Sunday hours are listed, and it closes early, so plan for lunch.

Goddards at Greenwich

Goddards sits at 22 King William Walk, SE10, on the edge of Greenwich Market. The market's guide describes a family-run traditional pie house. Visit London dates the family's first customers to 1890 in nearby Deptford, while another guide dates the Greenwich spot to 1952. Besides minced beef, there are lamb and rosemary and steak and ale pies, plus vegetarian and gluten-free options and a jellied eel portion. A minced-beef pie with mash and liquor is reported at under £10.

Opening days need care. The shop's own site says daily, with later closing on Fridays and Saturdays, but a Visit Greenwich listing shows Monday and Tuesday closed. Call 020 8305 9612 before a Monday or Tuesday visit.

G. Kelly, Roman Road

G. Kelly, at 526 Roman Road, Bow, E3, was founded in the late 1930s. Time Out names it the best in east London. Tower Hamlets Slice reported that it reopened after a full refurbishment, with a new bakehouse and an interior restored to its pre-war look. A later feature says it is being adopted into West Ham matchday ritual. There is a vegan option, and jellied and stewed eels. Another source says seafood from Billingsgate is sold from Thursday to Sunday.

Hours were not confirmed after the refurbishment, so check first. Budget roughly £5 to £10, and check. Note that the Kelly's shops on Bethnal Green Road are separate, independently run relatives, not the same business.

Arments, Walworth

Arments is at 7 to 9 Westmoreland Road, SE17. Its own blog says it still uses the same family recipe, mincing fresh Scottish beef daily. Broadsheet features it as serving pie and mash since 1914, and the shop moved to its present address in 1979. Its history page links the original Walworth Road site to an eel business in 1881. It calls itself possibly the oldest running pie shop, rather than claiming the title outright, and that is a fair way to put it. Pies include steak, steak and kidney, vegan and fruit. Kennington is about 900 metres away. Hours and prices were not confirmed, so ring 0207 703 4974 first.

Maureen's, Chrisp Street Market

Maureen's, at 6 Market Way, Poplar, E14, has been trading for more than 60 years, according to Visit London, and also does hot salt beef. Recent reviews show it is open. The nearest stations are All Saints and Langdon Road on the DLR. One blog suggests an early close, around 4pm, so check hours. Expect about £5 to £10.

If you want it dressed up

Two gastropubs offer a different kind of pie. The Windmill in Mayfair is known for award-winning pies, including Guinness and braised short rib, chicken, bacon and leek, and pheasant, rabbit and venison, served with greens, gravy and chips or mash. Lamplit counts nine in-house pies and two bookable Pie Rooms.

The Jugged Hare, at 49 Chiswell Street, EC1Y, near Barbican, runs a daily-changing menu with a pie of the day. Its game pies were seasonal specials, so do not count on any particular one.

Before you go

Nearly every shop above keeps short hours, often closing mid-afternoon, and several are closed or restricted on Sundays. Treat any listing as a starting point, and ring ahead if a long journey depends on it.