Pie 'n' mash needs to be protected, says Essex MP

The founder of a Cockney festival campaigning for the traditional dish of pie and mash to be given protected status said the meal was "very much alive and thriving".

Andy Green and campaigners, including Conservative MP Richard Holden, want pie and mash with liquor to be given Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status by the government.

Mr Holden will lead a Parliament debate at 16:00 BST to stop the minced beef, mashed potato and parsley sauce dish being made by imposters.

Mr Green, who founded the Modern Cockney Festival, said obtaining the status "may kickstart a fresh look from government agencies and public bodies to recognise the tradition and culture that pie 'n' mash represents".

Mr Holden, the MP for Basildon and Billericay, said: "With British staples like Cornish Pasties, Bramley Apple Pies and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies already enjoying protection, it's now time we protect this important dish to be recognised and celebrated, as it is enjoyed by families for decades to come."

The TSG is defined by the specificity and traditional element of the dish and would need to see a recipe agreed.

Almost 30 years ago there were 60 shops across London, but there was barely one third of that total left by 2020.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Mr Green said there was "a narrative that pie 'n' mash shops are closing and maybe pie 'n' mash is dying, the reality is it's evolving."

"Listed traditional food status would give a mark, a statement that despite rumours of its death, pie 'n' mash is very much alive and thriving," he said.

Mr Green said Cockney identity spread further than the traditional areas of east and south London, marked by the spread of pie and mash shops from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire to Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

He said some shops were "evolving" with the times by offering vegetarian options and delivery services.

Ahead of the debate in Westminster Hall, Mr Holden said the dish had been enjoyed by families for nearly 200 years.

He said: "It's part of that Cockney diaspora - particularly for places like Basildon, where you've seen all that new build town... people moving out there from the East End and taking some of those traditions with them.

"It's great to promote a high quality product... it's the original fast food."

Daniel Zeichner, Labour's environment minister, said officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had been involved in discussions.

"They are clear that an application for TSG status requires agreement on the recipe that producers would need to follow to use the name in future," he said.

"They also understand that all those wishing to use the name would need periodic verification of their practises."

He said once a formal application had been submitted, a full assessment could then be made.