Finley James takes on the pie and mash campaign
Local MP for Basildon and Billericay, Richard Holden, is fighting – literally – for the campaign to make pie and mash a protected dish under British law.
Richard Holden has teamed up with unbeaten Benfleet welterweight, Finley James, to take on the pie and mash campaign and make it a traditional speciality guaranteed protected dish.
22-year-old southpaw Finley James is currently in training for his upcoming clash against fellow unbeaten prospect Harley Hodgetts on Saturday, 24th May, at York Hall in Bethnal Green, as part of a Mark Neilson/TM14 event.
Despite the importance of the showdown, West Ham’s Finley James took time out of his camp to support Richard and the campaign, an initiative that holds personal significance for him.
Richard got into the ring to train with Finley – whose favourite dish is pie and mash – at 5 Elements, Basildon’s original martial arts academy. After Richard sparred and trained with Finley, they both retired to local pie and mash favourite in Basildon town centre, Robin’s Pie and Mash, for an early dinner.
At Robin’s, Richard and Finley spoke with the media about why they are both fighting for pie and mash to become a protected dish. This follows on from Richard’s debate in Parliament in October 2024 calling for the Government to recognise and protect pie and mash.
The Rt Hon Richard Holden MP, MP for Basildon and Billericay, said: “In Basildon and Billericay, we have two fantastic pie and mash shops – Robin’s and Stacey’s. They are staple, Cockney restaurants in the local community, serving a traditional British dish and keeping our living heritage alive. Traditional pie and mash is an artisan food. The pie and mash and liquors are freshly made, using authentic family-owned recipes that have been passed down through generations like precious heirlooms. It’s a truly wonderful part of British culture and history, and so many people in my constituency – consisting of many former Londoners – have a strong connection to the dish.“It’s truly a pleasure to support this campaign, and I loved meeting with Finley James and giving boxing a go – though I’d never challenge him as he’s undefeated! There’s such a clear case to make pie and mash a protected dish in itself, but this campaign is more than that. It’s actually about supporting these small, usually family-run businesses that are serving a cultural dish. With so many pressures being placed upon small business by the Government, this is a no-brainer campaign that will provide some support to the backbone of our communities. It’s time we all took up the fight to protect our cultural traditions, like pie and mash, and our wonderful small businesses!”
Finley James, undefeated boxer, said: “I strongly believe in the traditional values of pie and mash – so much so that I’ll always eat it when training for my fights. Clearly, there’s something special in this dish that helps me when I’m training and fighting, it works for me. More than that, it’s what I grew up with in Essex. Everyone I knew growing up with was eating pie and mash – it’s really a dish that brought together the community. My dad says I wasn’t brought up on milk, I had pie and mash! I’m incredibly honoured to be able to back the fight for the campaign, and to help Richard with getting his sleeves up and gloves on to really get stuck in with protecting pie and mash.”
Richard Maynard, Director of Strike Sports Management, who manages Finley James, added: “When I first heard about the campaign to secure protected status for pie and mash, I immediately knew that Finley would be an ideal ambassador. The connection between East End boxing and pie and mash runs deep and is part of the cultural fabric of the community. I am honoured that Finley is playing a role in this significant campaign, championed by Richard and Andy. Both Finley and I are deeply passionate about preserving this iconic British dish, and we are proud to stand alongside the campaign’s leaders and the many dedicated pie and mash shop owners in the fight to protect its future.”
