Pie and Mash: A Traditional Dish Set for Protected Status

Rick Poole, owner of M. Manze, hopes for protected status to preserve the traditional pie and mash dish. The campaign seeks to safeguard the dish's authenticity, ensuring businesses can thrive by preventing false claims of traditional methods.

Rick Poole, who operates the historic M. Manze pie and mash shop in London, is hopeful that a campaign for protected status will secure the dish's future. This culinary tradition traces its roots back to the 19th century, offering Cockney natives a beloved meal of pie, mash, and parsley liquor.

Initially, eels filled the pies, as they were abundant and cheap in the River Thames. Today's pies use minced beef, though jellied eels remain an optional side. According to Poole, achieving protected status would assure authenticity and security for businesses like his that have preserved this tradition for over 120 years.

The campaign, backed by figures like Modern Cockney Festival founder Andy Green, advocates for the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) label. This would require producers to settle on a consistent recipe, potentially elevating the dish's global profile. Poole's daughter, Emma Harrington, emphasizes the dish's cultural significance for Londoners.

(With inputs from agencies.)