Cockney Foods

@Ronrybs (17849)

London, England

January 26, 2022 3:34pm CST

While sorting through some old photos, I found this one and a bit of passing history. This kiosk used to stand in the car park of the British Legion, also gone, and next to the Cherry Tree pub, which is now a mini market, about 15 minutes walk from me. The old ‘Cockney’ foods are becoming somewhat rare, and I haven’t seen a fish stall in ages. Like pie and mash shops you need to travel to find one. For my pie and mash meal I had to go to Greenwich, over an hour away, by train. Jellied eels and other fishy delight, they serve, have never appealed to me, but it is sad to see their passing.

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12 responses

@LadyDuck (458091)

• Switzerland

27 Jan 22

Jellied eels is not something I would like to eat, other kind of fish, it depends. I agree that it is sad to see disappear those pieces of history.

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@LadyDuck (458091)

• Switzerland

28 Jan 22

@Ronrybs I like salmon, cod, sardines and mackerel, canned tuna is also good.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

28 Jan 22

@LadyDuck Forgot that one, tuna tinned and fresh is well cushty!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

I tend to stick to white fish and some of the oily ones, like sardines and mackerel

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@bunnybon7 (50973)

• Holiday, Florida

26 Jan 22

I bet they had yummy shrimp and vinegar fries too.

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@bunnybon7 (50973)

• Holiday, Florida

27 Jan 22

@Ronrybs Oh? I thought that idea came from England. I had them with shrimp when I was a kid and we visited Cape Cod in Massachusetts fries with vinegar sprinkled on them

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

28 Jan 22

@bunnybon7 Not sure about that one. We add vinegar after cooking, just before eating, whilst from what I've read you soak the fries in vinegar mixture and then cook them

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

I am sure they had shrimp, but I shall have to look up what vinegar fries are!

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@snowy22315 (169965)

• United States

29 Jan 22

Hmm, pass on the jellied eels. Lots of Mexican food in the food trucks in these parts as well as kebabs. Ok with me, like both of them

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@snowy22315 (169965)

• United States

30 Jan 22

@Ronrybs Mexican is delicious and the food is all over the place here in the US. I was thrilled when the town closest to me, got a Mexican restaurant, and it is family owned and a good one.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

30 Jan 22

I have only come across one Mexican restaurant over here and that was in Camden which is quite the trendy and young spot of the moment

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

1 Feb 22

@snowy22315 I went to a an excellent Mexican while I was in LA. I'd never had a burrito before!

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@marlina (154166)

• Canada

26 Jan 22

Do you still have other kinds of truck food?

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

We get mobile fish n' chips as well as hamburger vans. During the day there is the usual variety of lunch wagons around

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@JudyEv (325759)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Jan 22

I've never eaten eel. It doesn't really appeal to me but it's sad to see the old places closing up. Does 'cushty' have a meaning?

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@JudyEv (325759)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Jan 22

@Ronrybs I've heard of the show but haven't watched it either. We watched a Scottish film once with Scottish actors and ended up reading the subtitles!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

28 Jan 22

@JudyEv I daresay I'd struggle with some strong accents like Geordie or Glaswegian!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

I think it means really good or excellent. I believe it comes from a comedy show called 'Only Fools and Horses'. I haven't watched it myself

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

26 Jan 22

Never cared for these foods either but I agree with you.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

Oh yes, there are lots of other foods I rather be nibbling on!

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

27 Jan 22

@Ronrybs I would love some fresh seafood like shrimp and oysters.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

@CarolDM I don't mind shrimp, but oysters are a no-no for me

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@RebeccasFarm (86755)

• United States

28 Jan 22

This photo is priceless Ron. I am so sorry to hear this really. And to think that you have to go miles to get pie and mash..so sad..

No I think I had eels once there in Peckham out of a stall when I lived there yes one tiny stall used sell them and also the tiny cups of buttered prawns and the bakery there with the hot steak and kidneys and pork pies. I love that the stall in the photo says Lovely Jubbly's

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@RebeccasFarm (86755)

• United States

28 Jan 22

@Ronrybs I'd join you if I were there Ron

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

28 Jan 22

The world moves on and sometimes not always for the best. I shall have to visit that pie and mash shop again, soon

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

30 Jan 22

@RebeccasFarm On a chilly day, a very filling and warming meal!

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@Tampa_girl7 (48954)

• United States

27 Jan 22

I’ve never heard of jellied eels.

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@Tampa_girl7 (48954)

• United States

28 Jan 22

@Ronrybs They sound yucky.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

28 Jan 22

@Tampa_girl7 My friend likes them, but I've never been tempted!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

I don't like the look of them, so I wish I'd never heard of them!

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@Fleura (29129)

• United Kingdom

2 Feb 22

I've had jellied eels once, from a fish stall at a market. The eel itself was pretty much like any white fish. I wasn't too keen on eating the jelly but I think that's just an acquired taste, like eating the jelly in pork pies. Some people love it, others think it's disgusting! I haven't felt the need to look for jellied eels since then, but I wouldn't eat eels anyway since they are critically endangered nowadays!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

7 Feb 22

It is weird how we get these ideas as youngsters and once stuck, no one can shift them. Or maybe it is just me!

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@sol_cee (38223)

• Philippines

26 Jan 22

This post reminds me of @jabo I don't know why

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@Deepizzaguy (94512)

• Lake Charles, Louisiana

26 Jan 22

It is always sad to see stores in any city that go out of businesses like mom and pop grocery stores and restaurants.

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

27 Jan 22

Very true, it is the smaller independents that suffer while the chains grow pumping out identikit meals

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@FayeHazel (40248)

• United States

10 May 22

What a fun kiosk. I can relate to being sad to not see these around so much. On an only slightly different note I got to try smashed peas recently ... Yum!

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

10 May 22

Did you make them yourself or find some out there?

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@Ronrybs (17849)

• London, England

11 May 22

@FayeHazel Can't remember the last time I had a Scotch Egg. Bit too filling for me

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@FayeHazel (40248)

• United States

11 May 22

@Ronrybs Had them at a restaurant. For Mother's Day mom and I found a "British pub" or at least and approximation of one here. We got Scotch egg as appetizer. Yum.

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