With the Conservative Administration looking to demolish many of the historic shops near Shepherds Bush Market we sent our man Cllr. Colin Aherne (Lab) down to one of London’s last traditional pie and eel shops to tell us what we’ll be missing if the Tory plans are allowed to go ahead. He kindly took Hammersmith Broadway’s Cllr. Mike Cartwright (Lab) along for the er… much needed sustanence.Here’s Colin’s report:
“I have lived in Shepherds Bush for 37 years and I love it. Walk around our streets and you are seduced by a multitude of shops and cafes offering food from around the world. West Indian, Lebanese, Greek, Polish and Indian – it is all here and more. Everything that’s good about living in the most multi-cultural city on the planet. One of my real favourites though, is A. Cooke’s Traditional Pie, Mash, Liquor and Eels Shop.
Cooke's has been a London landmark since 1899. Situated on Goldhawk Road, it is easy to walk past it as you come out of the market. I would advise you don’t. On entering, you are confronted by brown tiled walls, formica tables and a packed house of people tucking into steaming hot fare. Delicious minced beef pies, sumptuous mashed potato, jellied eels and green liquor served like this since Queen Victoria was on the throne. It has been in the Boughton family since the beginning. Mike Boughton remains tight-lipped when asked about the secret recipe for his pies. He will say that they are made daily on the premises and he serves them up to well over two thousands residents of Shepherds Bush each week. The liquor is a parsley sauce, which, taken with malt vinegar gives the jellied eels a surprising amount of tastiness. With pie, mash and gravy at only £3.50 Cooke's is still providing thousands of working-class ‘Bush’ residents with a wholesome meal.”
You can join this Facebook group to support the campaign to save these shops.
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