Pie, Mash and a Whole Lot More

If you're at all familiar with the traditional pie and mash shops of London, they probably conjure up pictures of blue and white tiled interiors, with a scant menu chalked up on a small blackboard. Things have come a long way since those days, however, with a number of those shops now offering delivery services to your home, function room or any other location where you'll be entertaining your guests - and a menu that extends much further than simply pie, mash and the traditional "liquor".

This new slant on one of London's most famous culinary experiences opens up a whole new range of choices when it comes to organising the catering for some event or celebration you've planned. You can treat your guests to a change from the bits of cheese and pineapple on sticks, tiny sausages, or vol-au-vents and give them a proper meal instead.

There are a number of options that specialist pie-makers around London can now offer customers in search of novel outside catering:

Buffets - these are one of the most popular ways of arranging party food for guests. Pie, mash buffets can go down exceedingly well, whether you're organising a wedding, office party, social function or just about any kind of get-together. They are not only flexible, but, with pie and mash as the centre-piece, can prove a complete novelty also. A number of suppliers can arrange to stock your buffet either on a supply-only basis or even send along staff to attend the buffet, too;

Full service - for those slightly more formal occasions, you might want sit-down, fully serviced catering for your guests. Once again, a number of suppliers are happy to provide this level of service as the perfect accompaniment to freshly baked, homemade pies, mash and liquor;

Stock up - some of the most successful get-togethers are those that happen almost spontaneously or at very short notice. And now you need never run short of a complete menu for those hastily-organised dos, since a number of pie and mash shops can arrange home delivery of all the food you'll need, ready to store in your freezer.

Whichever way you decide to buy in the catering, you can also make sure that there's a lot more on offer to your guests than pie, mash and liquor alone. These days, the pies themselves, for example, are not just limited to the traditional minced mutton, but come in a wide range of different fillings. Even getting the taste and consistency of mashed potato might not be as straight forward as you might think and you'll probably find that you develop a preference for one pie and mash supplier over another.

If you're not sure that all of your guests are likely to enjoy the taste - or bright green colour! - of the "liquor", you might want to order in some traditional gravy instead. A number of suppliers can also offer a wide range of side dishes, with everything from peas or baked beans to accompany the main course, to starters or side dishes of another old-fashioned favourite, stewed or jellied eels, or even cockles and mussels. The "pie theme" can also be carried over into desserts such as fruit pies and crumbles, or other, conventional "afters".

Whatever the occasion, catering on a "pie, mash" theme can prove a whole lot more than just the traditional pies, mash and liquor.