As mentioned here last week, the world's first pop-up mall has opened in Shoreditch. Along with all the retailers, a number of eateries are present to sling a variety of hash within the shipping containers. One such outlet is Pieminister. Hardly a newbie, Pieminister's been around awhile with a host of pie shops all over England. This new one at Boxpark arrives in perhaps its most trendsetting (or would that be trend-settled) of locations. And similar to its landlord's concept, Pieminister offers a compact and economic product with differentiation occurring inside each standardised exterior.
As fortifying and filling a winter's meal as might be possible to find for under a fiver, a £4.25 serving of pie, mash and gravy can be a satisfactory lunch. Londonist enjoyed the “Matador” (British beef, chorizo, olvies, butterbeans, tomatoes and sherry). It didn't blow us away or anything but did the job quite nicely. The mash was perfectly acceptable and the gravy smothered as it should. The pie et al. reminded us of a particular dish once had at the Great Queen Street Restaurant, just more accessible and much cheaper.
Choosing the “Matador” was a bit of a toughie. There were lots of other pies – with fish and veg options – suggested on the blackboard. Even a few Christmas specials were on offer, which we might have actually gone with had we been informed about them before we placed our order and not overheard them being listed to another customer.
Convenient to shoppers and Shoreditch commuters but minus the austere atmo of an old school East End pie and mash shop, Pieminister is located at Unit 60, top level, Boxpark, Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY.
Photo/Chris Osburn
