A 'reimagined' pie and mash shop in Islington has announced its closure just one month after opening, leaving locals baffled. The historic M Manze's unit at 74 Chapel Market had been revived by Martin Savage and business partner John Gordon to much excitement, but the venture appears to be short-lived.
Sudden Closure Announcement
"Unfortunately, due to some issues out of our control, we are no longer able to keep on trading," a statement posted on social media on July 14 read. "Thank you so much to everyone who came through and big thank you to our staff. Without them we couldn't have done it at all." The shop's Instagram page has since been deleted, and the nature of the "issues" remains unclear.
History of the Site
M. Manze served pies and jellied eels from Chapel Market for over 100 years before succumbing to soaring rents and rising business rates in 2019. The Grade II-listed site later became Beefsteaks, which shut permanently in 2023. Upon relaunching the pie and mash shop, Mr Savage had promised to do "something a little different" without straying too far from the classics, according to the Islington Tribune. The new menu, devised by his son, reflected the family's Irish-English heritage and included pies served with gravy.
Local Reaction
News of 74 Chapel Market's sudden departure has sparked discussion among Islington residents. "Well that didn't last long...," wrote one Facebook commenter. Another said: "They didn't do proper pie and mash...Shame the business has closed as they seemed lovely people, but hope and pray a real pie n mash shop opens up there soon." A third added: "I heard people were moaning about the price! I don't know, I didn't go in, but it was nice to see it open again and still the same inside."
Broader Impact on London's Pie and Mash Scene
The closure is the second blow to the capital's pie and mash scene this week, with one of West London's last shops also announcing it will shut. Hughes' Pie And Mash, a staple of Ruislip since 2020, will bid farewell on July 18 amid "unforeseen circumstances."
