Manze's Pie and Mash Shop, Tower Bridge

Providing London's most traditional food to people in Southwark for over 100 years.

Manze’s pie and mash shop in Peckham was awarded a Blue Plaque in 2005 and this year the Tower Bridge shop is up for nomination.

In 1878 three-year-old Michele Manze arrived in Britain from a picturesque hillside village called Ravello in southern Italy. The Manze family settled in Bermondsey and began trading as ice-merchants, turning later to ice-cream makers.

Realising the need for more substantial food in Edwardian London, Michele branched into the pie, mash and eel trade and the first shop to bear his name opened in 1902 at 87 Tower Bridge Road. The tiled surroundings, white marble tables, ornate mirrors and hard, narrow wooden benches are typical of such shops and remain to this day.

Michele went on to open four other shops. Several of Michele’s brothers followed his lead and by 1930 there were a total of 14 pie, mash and eel shops in London bearing the Manze name. Michele Manze died in 1932 and his son, Lionel, took over the running of the two surviving shops at Tower Bridge Road and Peckham High Street.

At one time such shops were widespread across the borough. Only a few now remain, and those run by the Manze family are particularly well known. A few years ago, the Museum of London ran an exhibition on the subject and published a book.

Vote here

You can vote for Manze's pie and mash shop, Tower Bridge by email and post using the details below.

vote4icons@southwark.gov.uk
Blue Plaques
Southwark Council
15 Spa Road
London
SE16 3QW