It never takes long for the past to disappear. Six months ago Greenwich's finest pie shop served up its last plate of pastry and gloop, closing the doors on a family business dating back over a century. As owner Jeff Goddard commented here at the time, selling off the shop came from "a genuine desire for some work-life balance", allowing him and his brother to spend more time with their small children. I do hope he's enjoying his retirement, and his pay-off, and that his proposed online pie service (the one he was planning for Easter) finally materialises.
And now Goddards is gone [photo]. A New Zealand burger franchise has stepped in, as threatened, and given the 19th century shop a 21st century makeover. The tiled serving areaat the rear of the restaurant has been removed, and the church-hall-style pews and tables replaced by something a little more IKEA. The gnarled glass panels in the front window have been upgraded to something flatter, and the display of fine fruit pies has vanished in favour of a blu-tacked restaurant review. Check the menu today and you'll discover that traditional beef pie and mash (£2.20) has been replaced by Garlic Mayo burgers, falafel and chorizo (£7+). Try not to cry.
The new establishment is, of course, heaving with patrons. The centre of Maritime Greenwich is a renowned tourist hotspot, and many of those walking the streets have no knowledge of the renowned stodge palace formerly trading here. People are tempted inside by the franchise's deviously brilliant name - Gourmet Burger Kitchen. See what they've done there? Diners often feel guilty about their love of cholesterol-dripping burgers, so here the word is sandwiched between two blatant hints at sophistication and wholesomeness. And people are tempted back inside when they discover that the burgers are actually rather nice. But they're not pies, so I'll not be sampling them myself thanks.
I'll leave reviewing the new restaurant to local blogger The Greenwich Phantom, who seems at least ambivalently positive about the experience. But I still miss the opportunity to clog my arteries with piecrust, dollops of potato and mushy peas. 2006 already seems so long ago.
