Barney’s Pie & Mash wins Guardian Series Takeaway of the Year 2022

Tommy Barnard, 44, started Barney’s Pie & Mash in 2018 after waking up one day and deciding he had “had enough of plumbing”.

This year, after hundreds of five-star reviews online, Barney’s Pie & Mash has won Your Local Guardian’s Takeaway of the Year 2022.

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The prizes were set up to recognise the very best of local business and readers voted in their thousands for their favourite shops.

Tobias and Tommy Barnard outside Barney's Pie & Mash (Image: YLG)

Mr Barnard said: “I was over the moon about the win. The public got behind us - it’s a big achievement.”

The former plumber explained his pride in the takeaway came from its unlikely origins.

He said: “I taught myself how to do all of this, I’ve got no background in it whatsoever. I was self-taught and got where I am today.

“I just thought to myself one day ‘I’ve had enough of plumbing’ and decided ‘how hard can it be?'

Barney's Pie & Mash meal. Picture: Barney's Pie & Mash (Image: Barney's Pie & Mash)"I did all the work on the shop, announced it, and I was like ‘here I am’.”

The takeaway has five stars on both Google and Tripadvisor from a combined 303 reviews.

Customers praise the “unbelievably good food” and friendly service, with one describing it as “the best pie and mash in East London hands down”.

Other customers mentioned coming from across London just to try the pies after hearing how good they are.

Barney's Pie & Mash pies. Picture: Barney's Pie & Mash (Image: Barney's Pie & Mash)

Mr Barnard does everything in the store himself, with help from his children Savannah, 14, and Tobias, 12.

He believes the secret to the taste of his pies lies in the long hours he puts in.

By starting at 5am each morning, he is able to have everything freshly prepared in time to open at 11am without cutting any corners.

He said: “I do it all myself and so I make the pies fresh every day. None of it is frozen so you can taste the difference from that.”