London is a city with an absolutely endless amount of history. From the Tower of London itself to church ruins, former royal manors from the 1300s, and more, the city is absolutely filled with preserved pieces of the past. And that includes food too. In fact, there’s a South London institution that’s been feeding Londoners for over 120 years, which lays claim to the title of the city’s oldest pie shop.
M. Manze is a name that will be familiar to almost all Londoners. You might have their emerald-fronted buildings, some of which have been converted into other venues whilst preserving the historic facade. Or you might be lucky enough to live near one of the 3 operating M. Manze Pie & Mash shops, where you can taste some properly traditional British food.
But did you know that one of the M. Manze shops dates back all the way to the 1800s?
London’s oldest pie shop
Robert Cooke first opened a pie shop on the site back in 1891. Cooke’s son-in-law purchased the shop from him in 1902, and transformed it into the now iconic (and eponymous) M. Manze Pie & Mash shop. That was the start of what would become an empire of pie shops. At its peak, there were 14 M. Manze eel and pie houses scattered around the city.
The Tower Bridge Road shop has had a pretty illustrious history. The shop featured in the music video for Elton’s John’s single ‘Made in England’. It’s also been the subject of various books, TV shows, and more.
The historic M. Manze pie and mash shop counts many celebrities among its fans. Visitors and regulars include Rio Ferdinand, Rag ‘n’ Bone man, Rob Beckett, Charlie George, Roy Orbison, Jim Davidson, Danny Baker, and even David Beckham.
Sadly, over time, many of the M. Manze Pie & Mash shops have had to close their doors. There are now just 3 operating shops in London: one on Tower Bridge Road, one in Peckham, and one in Sutton. The Peckham venue opened in 1927 – meaning it’s been around for just shy of 100 years! And the Sutton venue opened in 1998.
📍 87 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TW.
🚇 The nearest stations are London Bridge & Borough.
