Noted Eel & Pie House has been a Leytonstone staple since 1976, and as they prepare to hit their 50th anniversary, we find out why people are still queuing up

By Pallavi Singh

On a quiet corner of Leytonstone High Road, a striking green awning stands out. Embossed in distinctive and clean gold lettering, the Noted Eel & Pie House is an East London institution that has been a beloved Leytonstone landmark since relocating from Bow in 1976.

For loyal customers like Sandra Cole, who has been coming here for nearly 60 years, there’s simply no substitute. “There’s no other taste like it. There are other pie and mash shops, but this one – for me – is the best,” she tells me.

Started by the Hak family in 1926, the shop has seen three generations of Hak men serve up the iconic East End dish for nearly a century; a recipe which, I’ve been told, has remained meticulously unchanged and consistently excellent. I’ve lived in London for nearly a decade, yet (shamefully) I have never tried pie and mash. So, on an unexpectedly sunny Tuesday afternoon in March, I find myself sitting on the historic red benches of the shop, alongside owner Alfie Hak and Sandra herself.

Tucking into steaming plates of pie, mash and liquor, we talk about all things tradition, taste jellied eels, and guess the future of this East End staple.

Born and bred in Poplar to a long line of East Enders from the Docklands, Sandra remembers lining up as a 15-year-old in Bow, when people would travel from all over to eat at Noted Eel & Pie House.

“We used to queue around the block to get into the pie shop – unheard of! People would come from miles to eat there,” she says. After getting married, Sandra moved to Leytonstone, which she notes was a very different place back then.

“The High Street had a department store called Bearmans of Leytonstone, and even a cinema across the road. It’s changed so much, but it’s starting to build up again now.” She was delighted when the Hak family moved the shop to Leytonstone in 1976 – incidentally, the same year her eldest child, Wesley, was born. “He makes a beeline for this place whenever he visits me,” she giggles.

Recollecting the deep significance the shop has had for her and her family, she shares: “My children were all weaned on it as babies. It’s one of their first solid foods. Honestly, it’s a big thing in my family – we’re all East Enders.” When I ask how she intends to pass down her love for pie and mash to the younger generation – her grandchildren – she offers me some beautiful words about legacy: “It’s important to carry it on. I don’t need to try with my family because they love it – pie and mash s ingrained in us, in our memories, and always will be.”

At just 28 years old, Alfie Hak is preparing to take full ownership of his family’s pie and mash shop this month. “We started in 1926 – my great-granddad opened it after coming over from the Netherlands. Then my granddad took it over in the ‘50s, my dad after him, and now it’s mine,” he tells me.

Loyal customer Sandra Cole, who has been coming to Noted Eel for many decades, Credit: Pallavi Singh

Despite his age, Alfie has nearly 17 years of experience at the shop. “I started coming in when I was about eleven years old, just helping out,” he says.

His commitment to tradition is unwavering. “Consistency is everything,” he tells me, emphasising the pride in keeping the quality high. “We still bone the meat ourselves, so we know exactly what goes in it. You won’t find that everywhere these days.”

Today, Alfie carries on his great-grandfather’s legacy and is determined to dispel the notion that pie and mash is fading into obscurity. “People think it’s a dying trade, but I’ve actually seen an increase in the last few years. You get people coming in, taking photos of
their food, trying it for the first time, and then coming back the next week.”

When I ask if he always intended to take over, he smiles and admits: “I’ve always wanted to run my own business, whether it be selling stuff online or something else. I’ve got two brothers, and they both did their time here, but they went into office jobs – one’s an
accountant, and one’s in America now. So, it all kind of fell on my lap.”

I ask Sandra how best to eat pie and mash. “Just dive straight in!” she laughs. “But try not to spill the gravy!” It hadn’t quite occurred to me
until mid-way through the interview that my plate was completely wiped clean. I was honestly astonished at how good the pie was, especially the rich gravy that oozed onto the mash. The welcome addition of their homemade chilli vinegar gave it an extra kick (you can buy a massive bottle at the counter for just £2.50).

A part of me wanted to go up for another round – at around £4 for a plate of pie, mash, and liquor, it was an absolute bargain. As I sit there contemplating a second helping, Alfie gets up and brings over an original newspaper clipping from August 1976.

“I’ve got an old newspaper comparing the prices of popular British food at the time – fish and chips had gone up to 27p, which people thought was expensive!” he grins. Reflecting on the ever-rising cost of a chippy tea today, it’s clear that pie, mash, and liquor has stood
the test of time – not just as a hearty meal, but as unbeatable value for money.

Alife Hak, 28, runs the Noted Eel & Pie House, Credit: Pallavi Singh

Alfie then brings over a plate of jellied eels personally and stands patiently, smiling as he waits for me to try it. “You either hate it or love it,” chimes in a fellow diner from a nearby table, peering over as I gingerly spoon a small amount of quivering jelly into my mouth. It is… interesting, to say the least. The eel itself is astonishingly tender – almost like a soft, white fish in texture.

“Our eels always come from Ireland, mostly from Lough Neagh,” Alfie tells me. “There was a time when we had to use Canadian eels, but people noticed the difference straight away. The skin is thicker, and the meat isn’t as white or tender.” For Sandra, however, jellied eels are a beloved tradition – a taste she inherited.

“My mother loved eels,” she beams. “But she used to have them stewed, whereas I have always loved them in jelly.” I wonder aloud if I might prefer stewed eels instead, like Sandra’s mother did. She smiles knowingly. “Maybe you would. We’ll have to do this again so you can try them properly!”

As the afternoon winds down, customers scrape up the last morsels of mash before heading out. I ask Alfie how he plans to bring pie and mash to the next generation. “We’ve introduced a few new things; delivery, social media, even a vegan pie. You have to evolve while keeping the tradition alive. Even just little things, like serving tea and coffee – we never used to, but now we do. It just makes it feel more
welcoming, more in tune with the times.”

I ask if he’s embraced TikTok. “Yes, we are on TikTok,” he chuckles. It will be exciting to watch Alfie lead Noted Eel & Pie House into its next phase, all while keeping one foot firmly planted in East End tradition. After my visit, one thing is certain: I’ve been completely
won over. If you haven’t yet experienced the Hak family’s exceptional contribution to Leytonstone’s food lore, I highly recommend stopping by – and tucking in.

Find out more by going visiting Noted Eel & Pie House’s website. Visit: 481a High Road Leytonstone, E11 4JU

Select photographs by Jake Green

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