Address: 229 Royal College Street, London NW1 9LT
Website: No website
F. Cooke, HoxtonGetty Images
F. Cooke, Hoxton
One of the most famous families in pie and mash, the Cooke family have run shops in London since 1862, with the first shop opened by Robert Cooke, just off Brick Lane, whose family eventually went on to run a small empire of pie shops. Until fairly recently, there were two remaining Cooke’s pie and mash shops in London: on Broadway Market and in Hoxton. The Broadway Market shop, which was the oldest, closed down in 2019, although the then proprietor’s children have since opened shops of their own in Essex, while the Hoxton site still operates today, established in 1987 and run by Joe Cooke. Here, the pies are unusually large and generously filled, while the liquor is also of note. It is soupier than other shops on the list and rampant with fresh parsley, giving the sauce a profound depth of flavour.
Address: 150 Hoxton Street, London N1 6SH
Website: fcookepieandmash.co.uk
B.J’s Pie & Mash
In addition to being one of the smallest pie and mash shops in London, B.J’s is the only one that also serves chips as an alternative to mash. With communal bench seating and friendly staff, the shop serves pies with desirably well-done lids for additional texture, smooth mash and generously seasoned liquor, with the option to order a side of either jellied or stewed eels. The chips are also delicious and taste typically home-cooked, if you really must.
Address: 330 Barking Road, London E13 8HL
Website: No website
Noted Eel & Pie House, Leytonstone
Noted Eel & Pie House, Leytonstone
Very little has changed at this shop since the owners of Noted Eel & Pie House relocated to Leytonstone during the 1970s, although vegan pies are now available, made using soya mince. The décor is pleasing retro with its white tiles and rickety red benches, as are the prices. The pies are a little smaller than typical, and the pastry is occasionally somewhat anaemic, but the filling is delicious, with its Scotch beef and appetising gravy, while the liquor has a good depth of flavour and texture.
Address: 481a High Road Leytonstone, London E11 4JU
Website: notedeelandpiehouse.co.uk
Arments, Walworth
Just around the corner from East Street Market, Arments is another south London institution, and one of only a few still open south of the river. The family have been serving pie and mash since 1914, and this particular Westmoreland Road shop has been operating since the mid-20th Century. One of the city’s most competitively priced pie and mash offerings, Arments’ pies have excellent pastry, but the meat filling can be somewhat grey on bad days, occasionally lacklustre, yet the shop remains an important pillar of London’s pie and mash culture. Arments also serves vegan pies of note, more generously seasoned than the traditional beef versions, loaded with soya mince and chunks of carrot.
Address: Pie House, 7-9 Westmoreland Road, London SE17 2AX
Website: armentspieandmash.com
