After trading from the same site for over 100 years, F. Cooke on Broadway Market recently announced plans to close within the next couple of months As well as being one of London’s oldest pie shops, it’s also one of the most charming. Sawdust coats the floors while the tiles, lean marble tabletops and bench seats epitomise the pie shops of the past. Pies are larger than usual, with well-browned flaky pastry lids, filled with a good amount of gravy. Mash and vivid green liquor portions are also substantial.

Opened in 1987, the Hoxton shop is the newest in the family’s East End empire, joining Broadway Market and Dalston, the latter already closed. While the space is relatively new, the recipe adheres to age-old tradition, with everything prepared on-site. Beef is butchered and minced in house, both sets of pastry dough are also prepared by the family: a thick suet base is utilised to hold the meat and gravy, topped with a short crust lid. Vegetarian pies are also available and cooked to order — made with vegetable suet pastry — yet gravy remains frowned upon. The liquor here is also thicker than typical, soupy in consistency and gloriously herbed.

Another pie shop forming part of Michaele Manze’s south London empire, the Peckham space isn’t as visually striking as its Bermondsey cousin, but the pies follow the same age-old, top secret recipe. Moreover, the mash is uncommonly smooth and the vivid liquor has a far more agreeable texture. Arguably south east London’s best pie and mash shop.

Touted as a ‘cockney food bar,’ Maureen’s has been a staple of Chrisp Street Market for over 50 years. Originally operating from a site at the Commercial Road end of the market, the newer shop is clean and spacious but has less traditional interiors. The pie and mash served here is some of the best in London, nonetheless. At under £4, pies are well-browned and packed with beef soaked in thick gravy, mash is exceptionally smooth and the liquor has a dark green complexion, possibly embellished with a whisper of mint.

Opened by Luigi Manze, Michaele’s brother, in 1929, L. Manze on Walthamstow High Street is one of London’s most attractive pie shops in terms of interior. Run by the Manze family until 1970, the grade-II listed building has a terrazzo floor, marble table tops and booth seating. As for the food, pies are available in two sizes and although they’re some of the city’s more expensive, they’re also some of the best on offer.

As well as being the smallest shop on the list, B.J’s on Barking Road bucks the trend by controversially serving chips as an alternative to traditional mash. Past the communal bench seating, food is served by friendly staff from a counter at the back of the shop (also unusual): pies are crowned with desirably well-done crusts, mash is creamy and the liquor is generously seasoned.

Around the corner from East Street Market, Arments is one of south London’s few remaining pie shops. While the family have been serving pie and mash since 1914, the Westmoreland Road shop has been operating since the mid 20th Century. One of the most reasonably priced establishments (£3.65 for pie, mash and liquor), Arments’ pies feature superlative pastry, but the meat filling can be somewhat pallid, occasionally lacklustre. Nonetheless, the shop remains an important pillar of London’s pie and mash culture.

Just off Leytonstone High Road, Noted Eel & Pie house has changed very little since the 1970s. Even the prices are in the past. Pies are smaller than typical, occasionally capped with slightly anaemic pastry, but the filling is encouraging and the liquor has good depth of both flavour and texture. As for the space, gleaming white tiles are joined by rickety red benches and photographs documenting London’s remaining pie shops — a permanent exhibition from photographer Jake Green.

First opened in 1939, G. Kelly on Roman Road has quietly re-opened following a two-year refurbishment project. Harking back to the shop’s original fittings, the space boasts walls dressed with gleaming white tiles and framed black and white photo’s; marble table tops and warm globe lighting. In regards to food, just pie, mash and eels are served at the moment, with plans for fruit crumbles to be available in the near future. Pies are filled with beef from Walter Rose & Son and rich gravy; mash is scraped onto the plates’ edges; the liquor is exemplary. The shop is also open for lunch on Sundays: another rarity, much like the vegan pie that it condescends to offer when so many will not.