History

From Pie Men to Pie Shops

In 1851 the social historian, Henry Mayhew, decided to record the occupations of London’s poor. This was published as ‘Mayhew’s London’. Among the many activities he noted were that of the ‘street pie men’ and ‘the street-sellers of pea-soup and hot eels’. The pie men sold meat, eel or fruit pies and would travel around the streets and visit taverns, summer fairs and the races. The eel sellers traded differently having stalls and stands in the street, many around Old Street. Around this time however, Mayhew writes that both the street pie men and the eel sellers’ trade went into a decline. This was attributed to the establishment of the new penny-pie shops. Within a few years the street sellers had almost disappeared

George Kelly serving live eels from his stall
Theresa Kelly serving in the shop

The Kelly Family

Numerous pie shops began to open up in London and in 1915 Samuel Robert Kelly opened a shop in Bethnal Green, investing some compensation money received after an accident at work. He and his wife Matilda had four children Samuel, George, Matilda and Joe: all became involved in the business.

George, however, went on to open four more shops in the 1930’s. Two of these were in Roman Road Market and have now been owned by three generations of the same family for seventy years. Initially owned by George Kelly and his wife Theresa, and then by Theresa’s brothers and their families. Many will remember Theresa's brother Bill and his wife Bea; Bill ran the shop from the late forties until his death in 1969 and Bea continued until the mid-nineties. At present they are run by their daughter Susan, who is therefore Theresa and George’s niece. The two shops in Roman Road Market now have no connection with any other Eel and Pie shops.

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