The following letter from the owners of Cooke’s Pie & Mash Shop in the Goldhawk Road, appeared in the current edition of the Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle – Steve Russell
(Source: Ewan Munro)
‘We are writing about the inaccuracies contained in the letter from Councillor Nicholas Botterill (Chronicle, July 26), about Shepherd’s Bush Market re-development. These will mislead your readers and have done so many times before.
Cooke’s Pie Shop has not had any offers to be re-homed within the new development. Ardent, Orion and Hammersmith and Fulham Council have not provided the information that has been requested on many, many occasions, as recently as July 22.
The visibility assessment was refused. Supporting evidence relating to existing use value, purchase price, benchmark land value or development valuations was not forthcoming. They did not comply with the instructions, suggestions or correspondence over the working methods and calculations of these values. No correspondence re property values was provided. That list includes only some of our reasonable and entitled requests, but they refuse to comply.
In June, Ardent came to our premises to measure up. One of their senior managers did not realise that all our products are manufactured on the premises and thought that we bought them in. How can they say they have given us offers when they clearly to not know our requirements ?
Our legal team details are well known to the council so we request that instead of continuing this propaganda, they comply with the request for what we are legally entitled to and open a dialogue with them rather than deceiving people through the media.
The council is indemnified for its costs, we are not. Who in their right mind would want to undergo this trauma if there were viable alternatives available ?
Please, Councillor Botterill, stop blaming us for being intransigent when clearly the fault lies with the council, Orion and Ardent. Our lawyers wait to hear from you.’
Audrey & Mike Boughton: Cooke’s Pie Shop – Goldhawk Road
One of my fondest childhood memories (many years ago) is the delight of the Pie & Mash shop in Kilburn Market (‘Manze’ I believe ?) Therefore, to my mind, too many Cookes could never spoil the broth (or liquor). Hopefully, the other parties involved in this matter will recognise the importance of preserving this legacy of our culinary history (Or is my wish just Pie in the Sky)
Should’nt close any pie&mash shops, to many been closed recently. But would suggest Cookes looked at their prices, if I’m correct, their price for double pie & mash is ¬£8 where as Harringtonspieandmashtooting, charge ¬£4. Pie & mash is associated we being a cheap meal for pensioners. Therefore I think Cookes pricing is well out of order, Harringtons only recently put the price up from ¬£3 80p & when I told the owner what Cookes charged they would’nt believe me !
I grew up in the bush and I remember my first pie and mash with my brother ian rip bruv I never forget how good it tastes and whenever I’m down the bush I visit cooks por and mash for a good old feed up. I believe that the council should recognise that it’s good old English grub and cooks pie and mash should be the focal point of the area as we are in England and we should be proud of our heritage because we do it so well for those reading this you my like to know I am mixed race and proud of my country’s food so wake up hammersmith council
On my first visit to Cookes shop I had my dinner with Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols…beat that for a story!