The ex-Tory minister said: “Pie ’n’ mash has been enjoyed by Cockneys both in London and in the diaspora for decades.
“It’s only right we protect and celebrate this important dish as part of our British culture.†Pie ’n’ mash traditionally consists of minced beef pie, mashed potato and a vivid green parsley liquor. It is sometimes served with stewed jellied eels.
Protection for a food can be obtained if a traditional recipe has been used for 30 years.
If special status is awarded, the recipe cannot be imitated.
Shop owner Fred Cooke — whose great-great grandfather Robert Frederick Cooke is said to have invented pie ’n’ mash in 1862 — is backing the campaign.
He has moved with the times and does a vegetarian version.
Andy Green, at the Modern Cockney Festival, said protected status would “give a statement that despite rumours of its death, pie ’n’ mash is thriving.â€