I ate proper London pie and mash, complete with the classic liquor sauce, and it definitely was not what I was expecting. After two years of living in London, having moved here from Ireland, there is actually very little traditional London food I have tried, aside from British Fish and Chips. When it was suggested to me that I try a traditional London pie and mash with liquor sauce, many questions came to mind. Firstly, what on earth is liquor sauce? Learning that it was made from parsley, I was less nervous about it.
I definitely did not expect it to look the way it did.
My next question was, ‘Where do I go for pie and mash in London?’. Although it is a traditional dish of the city, in particular the working-class docklands, I haven’t come across it before. Perhaps in an ever-evolving centre of global affairs, some of London’s culinary traditions are disappearing. But there is one pie shop that is said to be the best, and has been raved about by locals and the media since it opened less than a decade ago.
When it came to trying my first Pie and Mash, the destination quickly became clear. I had to go to Barney’s Pie & Mash Shop in Walthamstow, North London. It was a fair old journey from central London to Walthamstow, so I had high hopes for it.
Awarded Takeaway of the Year by Your Local Guardian in 2022, a former plumber’s venture into the culinary world has become successful. It regularly features in newspapers and receives a perfect Google review score of five stars, with visitors calling it “top-notch” and “up there with the best.”
As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by owner Tommy Barnard. I ordered a single portion of pie, mash, and liquor sauce, and he asked if I had eaten it before. Admitting that I hadn’t, I was then given detailed instructions on how to best enjoy it, from cutting it with a spoon to adding salt, pepper, and vinegar all over. It is clear that this man’s heart is fully in his business and in his pies.
It was handed to me pretty much straight away, and I sat down to tuck in. Admittedly, the pool of green sauce left me apprehensive. The sauce to pie and mash ratio seemed a bit off, but having done my research beforehand, I knew that this was how it was supposed to be served.
Dousing it in vinegar, salt and pepper, I tucked into the pie. Cutting into it, the sauce instantly makes its way inside the pie, mixing with the minced beef to create the simple yet impactful flavour. The sauce definitely tasted better than I had hoped. The parsley flavour was complemented well by the vinegar, of which I made sure there was plenty, on Tommy’s advice.
The mash was lovely and creamy, and a forkful of pie, mash and sauce together was definitely the tastiest way to eat this dish. However, there was something I couldn’t get past.
If I could have given my past self any piece of advice before trying traditional pie and mash, it would have been to order a double portion. For the amount of sauce I had, I definitely needed another pie.
Would I recommend it to someone who has never tried it before? I believe I would, as long as they were willing to go in with an open mind and respect for a dish that is rooted in working-class London life. Although pies aren’t my favourite dish (sorry, Brits), I could appreciate the simple quality of this one, made with a great love of tradition and London culinary customs.
The flavours were rich, the portion was generous, the price was more than reasonable, and the service was, as online reviews have said, “brilliant” and “warm”. With these core criteria, it’s clear why Barney’s Pie & Mash place maintains its perfect five-star score.
Many classic dishes have been gentrified over the last few years (such as Tom Kerridge’s Fish & Chips that costs close to £40), local sellers know how to do it simply and effectively. No fuss, no frills, just proper pies made the way they always have been. Some things don’t need to be improved upon.
You’ll find Barney’s Pie & Mash at 6 Garnett Way, London E17 5PE.
