Most Londoners were bought up knowing all about pie, mash and liquor. In fact we all looked forward to it as children. We would always have to queue up outside to get served and a seat as it was always so busy. We would stand for what seemed like hours peering in at everyone eating their dinners. In one side of the window would always be the live eels waiting to meet their fate and get cooked. I could never, ever face a jellied eel after seeing them in the window wriggling about. Our nans would sit and eat jellied eels with mash and liquor while telling us to sit nicely and eat properly. Our mums would always get us a nice bottle of R Whites lemonade or cherryade to drink with our pies. Then if we were really lucky we would get some fruit pie and custard but the pie and mash filled us up so much we rarely got the fruit pie.
Look at that!!! 2 pies, mash and liquor....yummy! We would use the chilli flavoured vinegar and lots of salt and pepper and eat every last morsel up.
There were quite a few pie and mash shops in and around London but sadly not many now survive. They were mostly what my nan called "spit and sawdust" kind of places with tiled walls and big dark wooden tables and bench seats. Sometimes it felt like we were in church with the seating arrangements!
We always went to the Manzes in Chapel Street market (top photo) in Islington. There was another shop in Kentish Town called Castles that we only went to if Manzes was shut. Castles is still there to this day and has a very busy turnover but in my mind they don't sell proper pies....well, not like we used to have at Manzes. Armetts just off Walworth road is still open and very much thriving. They sell wonderful pies just like Manzes and I will often ask my mother in law to get us some if she is down that way. We really don't have pie and mash now as we dont' have any sops near to us. It's such a shame as we just love it!
If you are ever in London you must go try the pie and mash and even the jellied eels if you are feeling brave!
