Robins Pie and Mash Southend Review

December 16, 2015 by Rich - Foodie Reviewer

Robins Pie and Mash Southend Review

You may remember a few months ago, I wrote an article based around our local delicacies. Of course, it just had to be the Cockle Sheds, and not forgetting the glorious Essex ale found in the pubs close by. I’m no food historian, but I do find the stories of traditional local fayre fascinating, and how certain areas of the country have their own cuisine. For example, pasties in Cornwall, pork pies in Melton Mowbray, crabs from Cromer and Hot Pot from Lancashire. Even entire counties such has Cumberland and Lincolnshire have sausages to their name. Not forgetting cheese; Wensleydale from Wensleydale, Cheddar from Cheddar and double Gloucester from, well Gloucester! Ok, you get my drift, so hence my enthusiasm for our local food and drink. But not just in little o’l Leigh, the good old east end is only up the road, and what are they famous for? Apart from the endless rows of curry houses along Brick Lane, its Pie and Mash of course! Pie, Mash and Eel shops have been part of the east end since the 19th century. The story goes, due to the prevailing westerly wind, the east end was far more polluted than the west end. So the poorer working classes settled in the east, and the more affluent in the west. To keep their food protected from the polluted air, the east enders would encase eels in pastry, which were abundant in the heavily polluted Thames at the time, and so born was the eel Pie. To bulk out this meal, cheap mashed potato was added, and the cooking liquor from the eels was poured over. There we have it, the now legendary pie mash and liquor. As time moved on, more expensive mutton replaced the eels, which now closely resembles the pie and mash as we know it today.

Both Leigh and Southend have been favoured holiday, and day trip destinations amongst the east enders for years, and their influences are apparent. Jellied eels for example, and what about all the West Ham supporters in our local area! But also, Pie and Mash has moved out of the east end and can now be found locally. Robins Pie and Mash has been located on Clarence Street in Southend for a few years now, and these guys are proper east enders. They have a few shops dotted around Essex and London, and supply pies to West Ham Utd, London supermarkets and also have a shop in Spain looking after those home sick expats hankering for a taste of home! I hadn't had ‘propa’ pie mash for years. As we've now got it right on our doorstep I thought it about time, ‘the trouble and strife’ and I took a ‘Jane Fonda’ down the ‘Frog and Toad’ to have ‘Butchers Hook’ in Robins, (I apologise at my Cockney rhyming slang effort, I'm just trying to get in to character!)

Their Southend shop is just as good as any you’d find in the east end. White tiled walls, wooden benches each placed with pepper and vinegar, the mandatory condiments when enjoying this delicacy. As soon as we walked through the door the staff were eager to serve us. Ordering here is as simple as it gets; just find a vacant space on a bench, head to the counter and decide; single pie single mash? Or double pie and double mash? But now the big dilemma, liquor or no liquor? This used to be made from the water in which the eels had stewed in, but not anymore! Nowadays it’s just simple parsley sauce; so don’t worry if a pie soaked in eel juice isn’t your thing! In my view, you just can't have the genuine article without liquor.

Well, Lou and I grabbed a bench and ordered. Just a single pie and mash each and a mug of tea. Lou’s sister was joining us too; she went for double pie and double mash, clearly she was hungry!! I just had to order a side dish, and one of my favourites; eels! As I said earlier eels have been served with pie and mash for generations, so for that really authentic east end experience you just gotta order eels.

Now on to the main element, the pie. As you'd expect it has change since the 19th century, and I'm glad. Back in the early days the pies were filled with eels. I am partial to an eel. Jellied, stewed, and even in the Chinese! Yep, find yourself a good Chinese restaurant and I'm sure they will be able to serve you stir fried eels with black bean! But even I struggle to see their appeal in a pie!! At Robins they now fill their pies with 100% scotch beef, which is far more in tune with the tastes of the 21st century! Very nice it was too, just a simple pie, with crispy pastry, filled with beef in rich thick gravy. Combine this with the liquor, mash and a splash of chilli vinegar; you got yourself a taste of the true east end. I mentioned chilli vinegar. Apparently, ever since the days of the spice trade, Londoners have been adding chillis to vinegar, and any pie and mash shop worth its salt will have this spicy condiment on the table. Well, I think we all enjoyed our pie and mash experience, and the best bit is the price. For the three of us, I got change out of £20. That’s three hearty and filling meals, with drinks, and a side of jellied eels; you’d probably spend more in MacDonald’s!

Now, I’m not gonna make any apologies or excuses; pie and mash is as far from fine dining as you can get, and that’s the way it should be. It’s just a cheap, wholesome and filling meal. The pie is simple but pretty tasty. The mash? Don’t be expecting silky smooth pommes puree as its not. This is mash with lumps and all, but it just fits perfectly. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Let's not forget the liquor, it's just brings the whole meal together. If you want a gourmet pie, maybe you should head round the corner to the Pipe of Port. But, if you just want a break from the Christmas shopping for a filling lunch, and a taste of the good old east end, which wont break the bank head to Robins. I can guarantee you, it will hit the spot!