I tried a Kent pie and mash with green liquor and I'll be back for a salt beef and gherkin bagel
Whippet in Tunbridge Wells could still be described as the new kid on the block, as it opened at the end of January. Although people are talking about the Londoner's fave, pie and mash with liquor, it has made a name for itself as a bagel and coffee shop.
The salt beef bagel with mustard and gherkins is one of the latest crowd-pleasers, and they really do have a "good amount of beef", as manager Nick Mockett showed me. It looked like a proper feast, and with a double espresso and a fresh attitude, you could pretend you were in a New York deli in Seinfeld.
A new combo which has hit the target in a big way with customers is the chicken and chorizo bagel, so that's been added to the permanent menu. Tempting as these were, I was there for the pie and mash, but first a coffee.
The coffee at Whippet is Monmouth and the large flat white was full flavoured with nuttiness. Nick has worked at excellent coffee places in Tunbridge Wells, Fine Grind, The Black Dog, which has now changed its name, and The Bicycle Bakery.
"Apart from Juliet's, I have done all the best!" he said. As you might expect, he makes a stunning cup of coffee and is keyed in to all that's happening in Camden Road and the rest of the town, so he's great to chat to while you order.
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And your eyes will definitely wander down to the bagels with the multi-coloured sprinkles, or the full throttle chocolate coated ones, or the dreamy cinnamon swirls at the counter. Nick told me they collect the bagels two or three times a week from Brick Lane in London, which is famous for them.
They do plain bagels or ones seeded with poppy or sesame. If you want to eat in, and you can take away your pie and mash, there are two tables with chairs outside on the red brick pavement.
It's great for watching the world go by, and as it's Camden Road, many people say hello or give you a nod. Nick explained why Camden Road was chosen by owner Edward Wyatt for Whippet. "Camden Road is the independents road in Tunbridge Wells. It's a little bit bohemian," he said.
Whippet is an honest place, no frills or pretension. The customer service is excellent, it's clean and bright and there's a black and white menu up on the wall. There's an excellent offer of any pastry or cake with a coffee for just £5. And you can get a coffee for just £3.
The pie and mash and green liquor
I love a pie and relish the opportunity to have pastry, and like most Brits, am partial to mashed potatoes. But I was clueless about what the 'liquor' would be to accompany my lunch.
It turns out it is parsley sauce, and Londoners add plenty of salt and pepper to it, along with some M Manze Chilli Vinegar which has a small kick from the chillies you can see clustered in the bottle. It gave the sauce a tartness, and I needed no encouragement to add the salt.
The pie was delicious, with the light, flaky pastry the perfect texture, just enough crispiness on the crust, but not dry and with a lovely chewiness. And it had that lovely egg or milk-basted brown look that you might see in a cookery book photo.
The pies are M Manze, which are considered "the best of the East End" said Nick. "It's a debate between Manze and London's but Manze tends to be the most well-known and they have the history. They were established in 1902, so they're well over a century old."
The distinctive green and gold branding of M Manze can be seen at three pie and mash shops: Tower Bridge Road, Peckham High Street and the High Street in Sutton.
Verdict
I devoured the pie, ate every last morsel, but even greedy me couldn't finish the mash, but it was well before noon, so early to be tucking into a hearty meal. Next time I would choose the gravy instead of the liquor. I liked the green sauce, but feel I can tick off that from my list.
I enjoyed adding the vinegar and salt and pepper as instructed, as I felt like I was "doing it properly". Reading up a little on the M Manze website, I found all the pies are made of handmade pastry.
Beef from "the freshest prime cuts" is minced on site at M Manze and no filler meats or offal are used. A little bit of gravy is added.
I forgot to try a glass of free Baldwins Sarsaparilla while I was there, as it is traditional to have it with pie and mash. Baldwins started making this cordial in 1844, when it was originally served in the East End's pie and mash shops.
It's described as a "foamy dark red cordial made from the root of the sarsaparilla plant" by Elephant and Castle.
Whippet, 145A Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2RA
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