Hackney Pie and Mash Lunch Finder for Mixed Diet Friends

Hackney has always been a place where old East London and new London sit at the same table. Long-time residents remember pie shops as a weekly habit, while many newer arrivals eat little or no meat. This pie and mash lunch finder is for the friendship that spans both worlds, where one person wants stewed eels and a meat pie and the other needs a plant-based plate, and everyone still wants a proper East End lunch.

Pie and mash was once ordinary food across Hackney, from Mare Street to the markets of Broadway Market and Ridley Road. Families ate it after a morning's shopping, workers grabbed it at lunch, and the shops themselves became local institutions. Today the borough is home to a very different mix of people, many of them vegetarian, vegan or just trying to eat less meat, and the menus of some pie shops have changed to reflect that.

That change makes Hackney a good place to plan a mixed table. A traditional meat eater can enjoy the full pie, mash and eels ritual, while a plant-based friend can try a meat-free pie with the same mash and liquor. The tradition does not have to be all or nothing. Sharing the room, the tiled walls and the vinegar bottle is often what makes the lunch feel special, whatever ends up on each plate.

The first step is checking whether the shop offers a vegetarian or vegan pie, and whether the liquor is made without meat stock. Recipes vary from shop to shop. Some traditional liquor is made with eel stock, while plant-based versions are made with vegetable stock and parsley. If your friend avoids all animal products, these details matter, and it is better to know before you queue at the counter.

Karpo APP can help you shortlist pie and mash shops within reach of Hackney and compare which ones mention meat-free options, so you can plan before you set off. If the nearest traditional shop is meat only, look a little further for one with a plant-based menu, or choose a place that offers both. A short bus ride or a walk along the canal is a small price for a lunch that suits everyone.

At the counter, order clearly and early. Ask for the meat-free pie and check that the liquor or gravy is suitable, and let the meat eater order their own plate separately. If the shop is busy, the staff will appreciate clear requests rather than a long discussion. Once you sit down, swap a forkful of mash and liquor if you are both comfortable, since tasting each other's plates is half the fun of a shared lunch.

The eel question needs tact. A traditional pie lover might want to order stewed or jellied eels, and a vegan friend might feel uneasy watching. Talk about it before you go. Many friends are relaxed about each other's choices, while others prefer not to share the table with eels. A quick conversation in advance keeps the lunch friendly, and it shows the kind of respect that keeps a friendship strong across different diets.

Liquor, the pale green parsley sauce, is what makes pie and mash unique. It is thin, mild and slightly savoury, and its colour surprises first-timers. For a mixed table, it can also be the most complicated part of the order, since recipes differ and some include fish stock. If your friend is strictly plant based, choose a shop that makes a clearly vegan liquor, or order gravy instead if that is the safer option.

For the meat eater, liquor is often the heart of the tradition. Some people pour it generously over the whole plate, others keep it to one side and dip each forkful. A splash of chilli vinegar on top adds sharpness and warmth. Encourage your friend to try the meat-free version with the same ritual of mash, liquor and vinegar, since the experience of the table is the same even if the ingredients differ.

After lunch, Broadway Market is a natural next stop. This narrow Victorian street, which runs between London Fields and the Regent's Canal, is lined with small shops, cafés and bakeries. On Saturdays it hosts a busy street market with food stalls and produce, and on weekdays it is quieter and good for browsing. Both friends can find something to enjoy, from bread and cheese to plant-based treats.

At the canal end, the towpath of the Regent's Canal offers a peaceful walk with moored narrowboats, waterside cafés and old warehouses. Head east towards Victoria Park for a longer walk, or west towards Haggerston for a shorter loop. At the other end, London Fields is a wide open green for a slow wander on a dry afternoon. Walking side by side after a mixed-diet lunch is a calm way to finish the day.

Traditional pie and mash shops have been closing across London for decades, and those that remain rely on regular customers. Bringing a friend who might never have stepped inside a pie shop, and finding something they can eat, helps keep these places going. A vegan who discovers they can enjoy a pie shop lunch is likely to come back and bring others, which matters to small family businesses.

It also connects people with the history of the neighbourhood. The tiles, benches and counters tell the story of a working-class East End that fed itself cheaply and well. Sharing that story with a friend from a different background or diet is part of what makes Hackney such an interesting place to live. A plate of pie and mash is a small way of passing that history on.

Weekday lunch is when pie shops are at their calmest, and many close their doors by late afternoon or take a day off midweek, so a plant-based friend who wants a particular pie should glance at the shop's own page before the trip. Ask staff about ingredients rather than guessing, especially for liquor and gravy, and say clearly at the counter if anyone has an allergy. These rooms are small, so a party of six or more should ask before settling in.

Make the lunch a regular fixture rather than a one-off. Use Karpo APP to compare a few pie and mash shops around Hackney that suit both diets, try one this month and another next time, and keep a running verdict on which liquor wins over both friends.