Londoners hunting for the perfect pie and mash have just been handed a cheat sheet — compiled by a man who has eaten his way through all 112 of the capital’s shops.
Norman Osland, a 62-year-old IT manager from Hertfordshire, has spent around £2,500 travelling to and sampling every pie-and-mash shop in London on a quest for the finest plate in the city. His love for the classic dish stretches back to when he was two years old — and now, after years of patient eating, he has finally revealed his top five.
Mr Osland, who is currently writing his second book on the subject, puts M. Manze on Tower Bridge Road in Southwark at number one, followed by G Kelly on Roman Road in Bow at number two. Third and fourth places go to Maureen’s and Eastenders, both at Chrisp Street Market in Poplar, with Bert’s Pie and Mash on the High Street in Wickford, Essex, rounding out the top five.
He admits the attention is slightly unexpected, saying it feels “a little bit embarrassing” to be celebrated, but that “it’s good to be recognised for what I’ve done.”
And if his household is anything to go by, his devotion has its limits — Mr Osland jokes that although his wife is proud of his work, his constant talk of pie and mash is “driving them mad.”
Why pie and mash still matters
For the uninitiated, pie and mash is London working-class food royalty. Minced beef pie served with mashed potato and a parsley sauce called liquor — a thin, greenish gravy that has nothing to do with alcohol — has been fuelling East and South Londoners since the 19th century, when pie shops lined the high streets of the docklands.
Jellied eels are the traditional accompaniment: chopped eels boiled in spiced stock and set in their own jelly. Once the cheapest protein available to poor Londoners, they remain a menu fixture in the old-school shops — a taste that divides the city but one Mr Osland clearly takes seriously.
He has met the people who keep the tradition alive along the way, including the developer of the Pie and Mash app at Robin’s in Romford, the owner of Barney’s Pie & Mash in Walthamstow and the owner of Miller’s in Belvedere. For him, the shops are about more than the food: “It’s not just the people that you might meet and chat to in the shop itself, but the owners and the staff and the atmosphere is really good.”
He believes the dish has a long future too, saying: “It’s going to evolve, it’s going to change, and it’ll still be available hopefully long after I’ve left this Earth, and hopefully for years to come.”
Norman’s top five: a mini tour of London
M. Manze, Tower Bridge Road, Southwark — the number-one pick, a South London institution where tiled walls and marble tables have barely changed in decades.
G Kelly, Roman Road, Bow — second place goes to one of the East End’s best-loved pie shops, a landmark for generations of Bow locals.
Maureen’s Pie & Mash, Chrisp Street Market, Poplar — third, one of two Poplar favourites sitting side by side at Chrisp Street, the old market square that has served the Isle of Dogs community for generations.
Eastenders Pie & Mash, Chrisp Street Market, Poplar — fourth, Maureen’s near-neighbour and proof that Poplar is something of a pie-and-mash stronghold.
Bert’s Pie & Mash, High Street, Wickford — fifth, the only one outside Greater London, carrying the flag for Essex.
Notably, London’s great food markets have their own loyal followings, and the capital’s festive calendar is full of chances to eat well outdoors — from this winter’s Christmas markets to pub traditions being celebrated in their own way, like the beloved Holloway pub giving away its benches.
For now, though, Mr Osland’s list stands as the most authoritative ranking the dish has ever had — earned one pie at a time.
