Essex shop ranks in pie and mash expert's top five

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 19:31 · Archive

A pie and mash enthusiast who has visited 112 shops ranks Bert's in Wickford among the UK's top five.

Norman Osland, a 62-year-old IT manager from Hertfordshire, has visited 112 pie and mash shops across the UK and ranked his top five establishments. M.Manze in Southwark takes first place, followed by G Kelly in Bow and two Poplar shops, Maureen's and Eastenders. Bert's Pie and Mash in Wickford, Essex, completes the top five. Osland has spent approximately £2,500 on his travels, including travel costs, and describes himself as 'obsessed' with pie and mash, having eaten it regularly since he was two years old.

For Osland, the appeal of the best shops extends beyond the food itself. He said: 'For me, it's the people. It's not just the people that you might meet and chat to in the shop itself, but the owners and the staff and the atmosphere is really good.' He is currently writing his second book on the subject and has begun to gain recognition for his passion, being approached for selfies, which he finds 'a little bit embarrassing' but believes 'it's good to be recognised for what I've done.'

How it is being reported

• 'I've tried over 100 pie and mash shops - this one in Essex is among the best'Norman Osland, 62, describes himself as 'obsessed' with pie and mash, having eaten it regularly since he was two years old and visited 112 shops across the country and one in Essex has been named among the bestEssexLive · 19 Oct, 19:00
• Expert names south Essex pie and mash shop in UK top five after visiting 112 spotsPie and mash expert Norman Osland names Bert’s in Wickford among the UK’s top five after visiting 112 shops, with London favourites topping his full list.Echo (Basildon) · 18 Oct, 09:05

In this story: Norman Osland · Bert's Pie and Mash · Wickford · M.Manze · Southwark · G Kelly · Bow · Poplar

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