87 Tower Bridge Road is the oldest
eel & pie shop still in business today.
Originally established in 1891
by Robert Cooke.
Bought by Michele Manze in 1902
( son in law of Robert Cooke)
It was the first of 14 eel &
pie houses to bear the family name of Manze.
The Manzes were originally from
a small village called 'Ravello' which is on the Amalfie
coast in southern Italy.
They started trading next door
at number 85 as ice merchants and then as ice cream
makers.
The address used to be 87 Bermondsey
New Road (as Tower
Bridge hadn't been built then).
The shop next door was bombed
during the war and the front of this shop was 'sucked
out' by the blast - but trade still continued.
Many famous people have eaten
here including the late Roy
Orbison, present regulars include Jim
Davidson and Danny
Baker. It is also said that David
Beckham eats here when he is in England.
It has been the subject of various
books and documentaries, and is often used as a set
for films and adverts. Even appearing in Elton
John's video for his hit single 'Made in England',
an interview of Victoria
Beckham by Kate
Thornton for the TV series 'Rich
and Famous' and the TV series 'Hustle'.
A photographer called Chris
Clunn incorporated the business in his photographic
work called 'Eels, Pie & Mash'. The photographs were
displayed at the Museum Of London,
Here is a link to his site, where you can view the
photographs he took of the shops and some of his
interesting works.
