South east London institution Manze’s pie and mash shuts for good
A slice of London’s working class history has gone for good as Manze’s Pie and Mash on Deptford High Street shuts for good.
After 120 years the doors are closing for good with the end of its lease and retirement of owner George Mascall after 45 years of pie making.
Back in 2018 nearby Goddard’s also closed after 120 years.
Some of my family lived in Deptford for decades working on the docks and would have eaten there regularly. I was hoping to get down this week for a double pie, double mash with chili vinegar on the liquor and take photos before the end but alas it wasn’t to be as just too busy with work and family.
Then I thought I’d dig out some old photos, spent an entire day looking for them to no avail but did find many others (hence if you follow me on social media you’ll have found me uploading old photos of Greenwich, Woolwich, Abbey Wood and the like).
Sadly I cannot find the many, many old photos of Deptford taken in the 2000s and 2010s. I suspect they’re on a hard drive or two that failed.
As for the pie and mash shop, it’s another chapter of the past closing. Similar happened in recent years with the closure of Wellbeloved butchers after 200 years.
Still, three Manze’s survive while Goddards is going strong in Greenwich and hopefully they can for some years to come.
I love pie and mash shops. How can you not? I mean, just look how gorgeous that outside frontage and signage appears and the untouched, tradiotnial interiors with bench seats. A real slice of living history (until like so many it’s no more).
Make the most of what remains.
I am surprised that Manze’s hung on for so long but with the ending of the lease and the retirement of George Mascall after 45 years, this seems like the time to let go.
I agree anonymous201486. But still a end of an era and a shame. I liked a bit of pie and mash.
Goddards pie and mash in Greenwich will now be even busier and you will struggle to get a seat or a takeaway delivered due to increased demand.
Pie and mash and jelled eels are a British tradition and one that we need to hold on to for many years to come. I am saddened to see Manze’s pie and mash shop in Deptford close for good.
I agree though that Goddards will now get much busier in Greenwich as people will travel from Deptford to get their pie and mash.
On the whole, Deptford has indeed changed for the better. I remember in 2012 watching an early evening ITV documentary about the a high street in a deprived part of town with 12 betting shops containing FOBTs, and tuning in thinking it would be some deprived Northern town. To my chagrin it turned out to be Deptford.
As for pie & mash I can recommend G. Kelly up on Roman Road if you find yourself that way, as good as Manze’s. As Graham rightly said, Goddards will likely be jammed, so if you miss the classic white tiled pie & mash place, to Hackney Wick you should go.