The 30th season of the Pie & Mash Club began on a historic note as it was the first to be held on a Sunday. With the peel of nearby church bells, the assembled congregation on Tower Bridge Road entered the spiritual place of worship, the much-revered palace of pies known as M. Manze.

It being the Sabbath day, grace was said before meals: “for the pies we’re about to devour, may we truly be grateful.”

Like Burns & Allen, Peters & Lee and Sonny & Cher before them, Harry Limby and Karen Ramos continue in the great line of eminent double acts. Perhaps their signature show number should be ‘Liquors Deep, Mashes High’.

Barkingside resident Colin Price tucks into his first pies of the season. It was a revelation to hear that he used to be a former columnist for the CAMRA magazine London Drinker at the turn of the century, writing articles about pub crawls around the London area. Check out their archive, where you can find a number of articles written by this ‘Bard of Barkingside’.

Ray Goldstone travelled over several counties from the depths of Sussex to reach this shop, it was a meal well received.

The Harveys doused the plumes of steam, before ploughing into the ambrosial scoff with eager flair.

Foodstuff of the gods.

At the end of last season, Nick Evans or more familiarly known as St@ to regular readers of these columns, retired from recording duties after 29 years at the quill. His tenure has lasted over two centuries, two monarchs and eight prime ministers, not bad for an incumbency that has churned out hundreds of club reports over the years. In the words of Douglas Adams, “So Long, and Thanks for all the Pies”.

Eddie Mosse shows off the club’s signature team jersey.

Doug Benford tucks into a fishy portion of stewed eels and mash. Yearning to be known as ‘The Bard of Brentford’, he suggested that his first novel would be a murder mystery set in a pie & mash shop. Could “Murder on the Marble-tops” be an appropriate title?

Over at the far end of the shop, a stripey clad Richard Parry was brimming with excitement, after ticking off another branch of the Manze’s empire on his list.

Since M. Manze was in his radius, local lad Ian Burr couldn’t resist a visit to this iconic shop. Although a dyed in the wool Northerner who is used to gravy with his pies, on this momentous occasion he took one giant leap for Yorkshire-kind and sampled Liquor instead.

The choice of beverages in this shop ranges from fizzy pop, tea and their signature Sarsaparilla, to wash the meal down with. Your freshly baked recorder approved his choice of libation.

As the luncheon rolled on by, things were starting to hot up for the Gastronauts of the club, as they plundered through their substantial fare.

Appetites were starting fray and desperate measures were taken. Ace,  appropriately attired in racing leathers, took the meal to task with the audacious move of dipping the pie in a vat of liquor.

Others weren’t so lucky, Goldstone hit the dreaded food wall after being defeated by a stodgy portion of stewed eels and mash, slashing eight points off his promising total that day.

In recent years, Manze’s has returned to their heritage by selling traditional Italian Gelato like the great Michele Manze (patriarch of the Manze’s dynasty) used to sell in the early days before branching off into selling pie & mash.

Peter was the day’s high scorer, with an impressive 25 points under his belt. Here he is, cooling down his Olympian appetite with rewarding cup of Gelato.

Harry and Ray show off their spoils from battle. Thankfully for the staff, it was only a T-Shirt and some Chilli Vinegar.

Manze’s wall of stars gleams above the plaque that proudly states the shop’s claim to fame, as the oldest pie & mash shop in the world, running since 1892.

There was a subdued atmosphere among the staff that day, with the recent passing of former proprietor Graham Poole the week before. Although in the spirit of the business, the show must go on…

A generous turnout of 12 people attended this meeting. Making it the highest attended season opener since 2019.

The gathered throng went off in their own directions as they journeyed off to their respective homesteads. Although five of us trundled off to the Royal Oak in Tabard Street for some rewarding beers. Owned by Harvey’s Brewery of Lewes, this famed local is their flagship London pub.

Pints were supped well into the afternoon.

MG