F Cooke Pie & Mash

F Cooke’s Broadway Market location stood for 120 years before closing and turning into a glasses shop that purports to offer ‘HOT JELLIED EELS’. Thankfully, its Hoxton sibling hasn’t fallen to this decidedly east London fate yet. Nostalgia is a powerful thing and given this was the location of our first pie and mash experience, there is a degree of bias. However F Cooke’s spoonfuls of mash, mince, and liquor still hold up as the best. The pastry is the star (a well-browned top with a soft suet bottom that’s begging to be doused in vinegar), though the beef mince is decidedly meaty. And the mash could well be a useful stand-in were you thinking of relaying your driveway anytime soon. Lunchtime is always appreciated in this bright and homely, marble-topped room.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch