News Walthamstow

Iconic pie and mash shop may be closed for good

L Manze opened in 1929 and was listed in 2013
By Victoria Munro

A Walthamstow institution and listed pie and mash shop has sparked horror among residents by closing down, reportedly for good.

L Manze on High Road, Walthamstow, was founded in 1929 and Grade II-listed nine years ago in recognition of its “exceptionally complete interior”.

While Google only lists the shop as “temporarily closed”, a spokesperson for the business was not able to confirm if it would open up again and many are already mourning its passing.

A sign in the window says the shop is closed “due to unforeseen circumstances” and provides phone numbers for the three nearest branches in Hoddesdon, Braintree and Dunmow. 

L Manze fan Colin Turton wrote publicly on Facebook that the shop has “closed its doors for the last time”, adding: “Its passing has left a void.”

He said: “This humble pie and mash shop brought people together. It created priceless memories. It was a way of life, an institution and part of our heritage.”

When contacted by the Echo, a spokesperson for the business was unwilling to comment on the reason for the closure.

Speaking when the shop was listed in 2013, then-culture minister Ed Vaizey said pie and mash shops are “as intrinsically linked to London as black cabs and beefeaters”. 

He added: “L Manze’s in Walthamstow is a unique part of the capital’s heritage and is as relevant and popular now as it was when it first opened in the 1920s. It clearly deserves to be given Grade II-listed status.”


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