The Pie And Mash Shop DAVID BECKHAM Loves!

Presenter / Channel

• Gino Eats (presenter: Gino, referenced as “Gino Eats” throughout)
• Video title mentions: “The Pie And Mash Shop DAVID BECKHAM Loves!”
• Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex (near Waltham Abbey)
  • Includes history references tied to King Harold II
  • Notes that David Beckham is a fan

Cooking-Specific Overview: Pie & Mash Options

The core “debate” is:

• South: pie + mash + liquor (parsley sauce)
• North: pie + mash + gravy

Gino eats at Tony’s Pie and Mash and tries both.

Ingredients (As Mentioned)

No full recipes or quantities are given, but these ingredients are named:

For Serving / Seasoning

• Black pepper (added generously to the mash and/or both dishes)
• Chili vinegar (added with the mash; described as working well with mashed potato)
• Liquor (parsley sauce)
  • Traditionally made using eel juice
  • Jelled/gelatinous quality helps thicken it
• Gravy
  • Thick beef gravy
  • Similar thickness to liquor
  • Compared to an onion gravy vibe, but without onion

Pie Filling

• Minced beef inside the pie
• Gravy inside the pie (described as “minced beef and gravy”)

Dessert

• School cake
  • Sponge cake with jam
  • Dessicated coconut on top
• Custard (served in a large amount; described as poured first)
• No ice cream / whipped cream recommendation (see mistakes to avoid below)

Equipment / Technique & Prep Notes (As Observed)

• Individual pie baking in small metal tins
  • Bottom stays a bit soggy because they don’t blind-bake the bottom first
  • Top crisps up during baking
  • Pies can be baked longer for customers who want them more “burnt/crispy”
• How to eat (equipment)
  • No knife: use fork and spoon
  • Spoon is used like a knife to cut the pie

Method / How It’s Eaten (Key Steps & Cues)

(Primarily tasting/serving guidance, with explicit “how to eat” cues.)

A) Pie + Mash + Liquor (Gino’s First Plate)

1. Flip the pie
   • Turn the pie upside down on the plate
   • Purpose: crispy top becomes the bottom; soft bottom becomes the top in the new orientation
2. Season
   • Add plenty of black pepper
   • Add chili vinegar (especially on the mash)
3. Mash first
   • Mash described as thick and smooth (not lumpy)
4. Eat with fork/spoon
   • Use the spoon to cut the pie, then pick it up
   • Aim to get pastry + filling + liquor on the spoon
5. Liquor tasting notes
   • Parsley taste
   • Thick/gelatinous/gloopy but flavorful
6. Mess warning
   • “Try not to get it down your front” (mash/liquor are mess-prone)

B) Pie + Mash + Gravy (Second Plate)

1. Same mash
   • No choice of mash—only sauce/portion choices
2. Separate cutlery
   • Gino notes they use different cutlery on each plate to avoid cross-contamination
3. Season again
   • Add black pepper and chili vinegar for extra “zing”
4. Eat with spoon
   • Knife and fork feels “alien,” but he “runs with it”
   • Bites include beef + gravy + mash
5. Gravy tasting notes
   • Thick, rich, “deeper/richer/more intense” than liquor
   • Compared to onion gravy, but without onion

Chef/Tasting Tips & Common Mistakes (Only What’s Stated)

• Don’t use a knife: use fork + spoon
• Flip the pie to get the intended texture contrast
• Chili vinegar on mash is recommended as a key flavor trick
• Dessert pairing mistake to avoid
  • For school cake, don’t use ice cream / pouring cream / whipped cream
  • Custard is the correct sauce

Plating / Serving Suggestions

• Pie upside-down on the plate to show the texture contrast
• Fork-and-spoon bites:
  • pastry + minced/gravy filling + liquor/gravy
• Dessert served as:
  • custard poured first
  • school cake plunked on top to sit in a “lake” of custard

Variations Discussed (Concise)

• Liquor vs gravy
  • Liquor: parsley sauce, gelatinous, traditionally tied to eel juice
  • Gravy: thick beef gravy, richer/deeper; “onion gravy-like” but without onion
• Extra-crispy pie request
  • Customers can ask for a more burnt/crispy version
• Dessert
  • School cake + custard (no other substitutions beyond what to avoid)

Timings / Temperatures

• No specific cooking times or temperatures provided.
• Serving heat note:
  • Mentions steam from the hot dishes
  • Very hot sponge/custard could burn your mouth

Verdict / Scoring (Preference Outcome)

• The video emphasizes price/value and experience more than cooking technique.
• Debate result:
  • Overall Gino prefers liquor for a lighter feel
  • He still rates gravy highly and would eat pie + mash + gravy if liquor wasn’t available
• Dessert pairing:
  • Sponge described as light (jam + coconut)
  • Strong emphasis on custard pairing

Sources / Referenced People

• Gino Eats YouTube channel (presenter: Gino)
• Referenced fan: David Beckham
• Venue: Tony’s Pie and Mash, Waltham Abbey, Essex
• Context references: Waltham Abbey, and mention that King Harold II is associated with the area