Pie and Mash - An East End Icon

Discover the story behind The Noted Eel & Pie House, one of London's oldest surviving Pie and Mash shops, in our interview with Alfie, the great-grandson of the founder. 

Posted on Wednesday, March 6, 2024

A celebration of culture, nostalgia, and pure joy, it doesn’t get much more East End than pie and mash. Famous fans of this classic combination include David Beckham, who is known to frequent his favourite childhood spot to get his fix.

There is a long-standing tradition of these shops in London dating back to the 19th century, a testament to the East End’s culinary legacy. In this interview, we caught up with Alfie, the great-grandson of The Noted Eel & Pie House founder to find out more about the history, origins, and unique identity of this iconic dish.

Can you tell me about the history and origin of the Noted Eel & Pie House?

We are a family-run business that has been trading in East London since 1926. My Great-grandfather (Huite) was a skipper on an eel barge who came to live in London from Holland at around the age of 9. Huite lived with a family who ran a Pie & Mash shop and after some years went on to open his shop in Hoxton just before The Great War. He eventually moved the shop to Bow where we remained until the mid-1970s where we were then forced to move (due to compulsory purchase) to Leytonstone where we still trade today.

How did the combination of pies, mashed potatoes, liquor and eels come about?

There are many theories of how this delicious combination came about and who made it. I know eels were in abundance in the early 1900s and made for a tasty, cheap filling for pies. This was paired with many Londoners' staple food, mashed potatoes and a parsley sauce made from the stock eels would be cooked in. I wouldn’t be able to tell you when exactly, however over the years as eels became harder to fish (and more expensive) most shops switched to a beef filling. Thus, creating the ‘Pie, Mash & Liquor’ we know today.

What is it about pie and mash that makes it an iconic East London dish?

I guess what makes pie mash an iconic meal is that it is only available in and around East London. Anyone who grew up in East London knows exactly what this dish is, as well as any newcomers to the area. One of the first things most people try when moving to a new country is the local food. I like to think of Pie Mash as the ‘Local Food’ of East London.

How has the restaurant adapted to changing food trends and customer preferences while maintaining its unique identity?

With a shop this old and a huge loyal customer base, we are careful not to stray too far from our origins. That being said, after many years of people asking we finally added Vegan Pie Mash to our menu. These are handmade on-site and differ from our traditional beef pies as they are made with a soya mince filling. We’ve had great feedback since launching these and now have many new regular customers who come in solely for our Vegan Pie Mash.

Where can people out more and visit you?

You can visit us at 481A Leytonstone High Road, Leytonstone, E11 4JU. We're also available for local and nationwide delivery, so definitely check out our website for more information notedeelandpiehouse.co.uk and follow our Instagram @LeytonstonePieMash 

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