1975: Jellied eels on the streets of London
Derek Cooper explores some of the traditional dishes of the East End of London - from jellied eels to smoked haddock.
Joyce's Pie and Mash Shop on Tower Bridge Road is the oldest eel and pie shop in the East End, where the menu - pie, parsley sauce, mashed potatoes and stewed eels - has remained unchanged for decades. At Tubby Isaac's jellied eel stall in Aldgate, we meet with Tubby himself, as he addresses the rumour that eels are an aphrodisiac and bemoans the rising price of his most famous ingredient. After a quick stop at Billingsgate Fish Market, we hear from Eric Ruffell - one of the few remaining East End fishmongers who operates a smoke hole to prepare traditional smoked haddock.
As urban renewal projects see the old tenements replaced by high-rise flats, are these the last bastions of traditional East End cuisine?
This clip is from A Taste of Britain, originally broadcast 27 August, 1975.
Note: This text has been amended for accuracy.