Our campaign co-created to protect the staple dish of Cockney cuisine, Pie’n’Mash by seeking Protected status to protect its heritage and promote itself worldwide is now getting the support of Members of Parliament who are lending their backing to our cause..
Believed to be the first time the iconic Cockney food has been formally discussed in the House of Commons, the Rt. Hon. Richard Holden MP (Con, Basildon & Billericay) is leading a debate in the House of Commons (Tuesday October 22nd) calling for the traditional London fayre to be recognised alongside the likes of Cornish pasties and Bramley apple pies –
Dating back to the 1840s, Pie’n’Mash has become an iconic food closely associated with Cockney culture – the social identity of ‘non-posh Londoners’. A network of over 100 typically family-owned Pie’n’Mash shops has spread out from its inner London heartlands of the East End and East and South London across the South-East of England – – following the movement of the ‘Cockney diaspora’ out of London.
The traditional Pie’n’Mash dish consists of a savoury pie filled with minced beef, mashed potatoes, served with a parsley liquor, which can also be accompanied by stewed jellied eels. It is an artisan food, freshly made to authentic family-owned recipes, passed down through the generations like precious heirlooms.
Although each pie shop has their own recipes and customs for making their food, formal protection will serve to protect the traditional methods used and mark the cultural importance of the dish.
Celebrity fans include David Beckham, actors Emma Cooke and Danny Dyer, and comedians Arthur Smith and Rob Beckett, and is also featured in BBC TV’s ‘East Enders’ with the ‘Beale’s Eels’ Pie & Mash House.
The initial call to secure Traditional Status Guaranteed was made at the very first National Pie’n’Mash Week, held earlier this year in March as part of our Modern Cockney Festival, a celebration of the culture, heritage and identity of modern Cockneys.
Commenting on the parliamentary debate, Andy Green of the Modern Cockney Festival said: ““Pie’n’mash shops are part of a British tradition that goes back nearly 200 years that have a special place in Modern Cockney culture and identity – all dimensions of social capital. If the Cornish can protect their pasties, and the Cumberlanders their sausages, why not Cockneys – in London and beyond – with Pie’n’Mash? All we are asking for is respect for our area’s traditional food and recognition of its unique character and authenticity through protected status.”
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for the Protected Food Status scheme and campaigners will be submitting a formal application, hopeful of achieving respect and recognition in the New Year.
The UK has 94 products with Protected Status, compared to Italy (882), and France (758).
The protection guarantees a product’s characteristics or reputation, authenticity, and protects the product name from misuse or imitation.
There are three types of protected status. Two of these – Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication – centre around foods where the main ingredients come from and/or the preparation takes place in a specific and tightly defined geographical region.
The third category – Traditional Status Guaranteed (TSG) – does not rely on this geographical connection but does demand that the food has a traditional name that’s been in use for 30 years or more and is produced using traditional methods or a traditional recipe. TSG would allow for the inclusion of all traditional Pie’n’Mash producers and shops whilst still protecting and celebrating its inherent characteristics and authenticity.
Traditional Status Guaranteed provides a formal recognition of both Pie’n’Mash traditions but also a vote of confidence about its future. It changes the narrative of the Pie’n’Mash story from one that is ‘dying’ to one of a proud tradition, gaining recognition, with its newly granted status providing the foundation for a more confident future.
As part of the Modern Cockney Festival we launched the first-ever National Pie’n’Mash Week (March 11th- 17th 2024). National Pie’n’Mash Week featured a range of events including live music, poetry, literature, history.
The Week featured the first-ever generic promotional film for Pie’n’Mash (see below) with the kind support of Working Word Communications and comedian Arthur Smith.
For further details of the campaign and National Pie’n’Mash Week visit www.nationalpiemashweek.org.uk