Norman Osland knows his pie and mash. After visiting over 70 establishments in London and beyond, he turned his experiences into a guidebook, Norman's Conquest. Here, he writes about his love affair with that most Londony of dishes.
I was just two when I first had mash and liquor. I then moved up to pie when I was about four.
I've always loved the shops' link to tradition. It must be the only sit down meal that you can still get that you could get over 100 years ago. A number of shops have tried to stay original with their fixtures and fittings (Manze's in Tower Bridge Road and Peckham are two of many). You can look around and remember back to days gone by very easily. Remember, the Tower Bridge Road shop has been an M.Manze since 1902, and a lot of it has remained the same... and looks superb.
I decided to undertake the 'conquest' following a number of comments on a Facebook group when I posted up little reviews of the three shops I would normally visit, and I got many comments to say I should try certain others. I started to do just that, but the list of pie shops that others thought I should try was growing... I upped the list to 20 shops to try, but still the list grew. At this point I thought 'What the hell, let's just do them all!' And that is exactly what I did. I'm still doing it too, as new pie and mash outlets open.
If I had to pick one pie and mash shop to eat in for the rest of my life... while G Kelly in Bow is my favourite, if there was only one shop left, I would like it to be Manze's in Tower Bridge Road — such an iconic shop, steeped in history. Every visit I make is memorable.
Though I've never spotted a celebrity in a pie and mash shop personally, many notable figures are known to enjoy it: David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Jimmy Tarbuck, Tommy Steele (a fellow Bermondsey boy), Ray Winstone too. If you asked that question of other people, some might even say me! I actually get recognised in the street from time to time by people that have seen social media and local news posts about me, and have even done a few selfies with them.
The biggest loss to London's pie and mash scene in recent years was when Manze's in Deptford closed. It was a memorable place to go and the last time I went, a month or so before they closed, highlighted that while chatting to George Maskell, the owner. Prior to that would be Manze's in Walthamstow — always a fantastic shop to visit. The atmosphere was awesome.
There is, however, a newfound appreciation for pie and mash among some Londoners — not just with the newer shops like Barney’s in Walthamstow and Hughes in Ruislip opening — but also the whole social media thing. People like Alfie Hak (Noted Pie & Mash in Leytonstone) is often doing Instagram posts with a little GoPro on his head, doing videos showing things he does in a typical day, and responding to comments by showing the answer in a video.
Then, of course, there is Robins; six shops in key locations; they are always rammed with people of all ages enjoying pie and mash, often for the first time.
Given I have eaten pie and mash about 250 times since I started researching the book back in March 2024 — and because I used to eat it a lot in my late teens/early 20s too — I would suggest I've eaten it approximately 600 times.
Norman's Conquest, by Norman Osland
