GODDARD’s Pies is to return to Greenwich with the opening of a new shop.
The family business’s new shop will be in King William Walk, replacing Greenwich Inc’s Great British Fish & Chip shop.
Goddard’s was established in Deptford by Alfred Goddard in 1890 and then for many years they had a shop in Greenwich Church Street.
Kane Goddard of Goddard’s Pies told Greenwich.co.uk: “We’ve been away far too long and we look forward to seeing some familiar faces and lots of new ones in our pieshop. 2012 is an exciting year for many reasons and we can’t wait to re-establish ourselves within the Greenwich community.”
The venue for the business is an 18th century pub, originally known as the Cricketers, and has had various incarnations in recent years such as the W Lounge, Powder Monkey and Lani Tiki.
The shop should open for business in April after a refit that’s expected to take around three weeks to complete.
Yes! At last some good news in our town centre!
This is amazing news. Used to love eating in their old restaurant when at Uni. This restaurant is bigger. Hope it has the same unique feel as the old one.
How tawdry.
When Goddards was threatened with demolition to clear space for the development of what is now Cutty Sark DLR and the surrounding shops/flats etc, the brothers got up a petition, which many local people including myself signed, and got Tony Banks to come over and list the building. They got English Heritage money to refurbish the building. Everyone was happy that a genuine part of Greenwich, quirky and individual, had been saved. And it was a good business, always busy with people queing out of the door at the weekends. However, along came Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and it transpired that the 110 year Goddard heritage was in fact for sale if the cheque was big enough.
Now Inc, having had the sale of their town centre pubs blocked by the Hospital, and wanting still to be rid of them, especially the chippie which is not a success, have done a deal with people who were supplying their pies, and Goddards come creeping back.
Inc, the Hospital and Goddards – 3 of the concerns which have done most in the recent past to destroy the unique character of our town come together in an un-holy triple alliance. Yuck.
I will not being eating their pies, nice as they always are.
I think that the destruction of the old Goddards and the Cricketers (both of which were viable businesses) are two things that real Greenwich people will never forgive.
It’s time to forget your grudges, Jack, and welcome a Prodigal Son back.
THe campaign for Goddards saved a crucial building – if that had gone, the town centre would have lost the last vestige of character. It was worthwhile on that basis alone.
I was angry when they sold out – but I don’t believe in cutting off my nose to spite my face. The return of Goddards is the return of an institution and it means we have one less Inc Embarrassment. It marks a longed-for improvement in a troubled centre; we should forgive old sins – and eat some pies.
Must confess I was unaware to the background to all this. I thought they were forced out by a massive rent increase.
That said, it won’t stop me going there. It just wasn’t the same going to the hut in the ‘food court’.
While bearing in mind the rather shameful history of the place, Goddards is better than the chip shop so it’s a small step in the right direction. I do worry that this is a rotten time to be opening a new business and would hate to see this site empty again in six months.
Also, I wonder how GBK will cope with the competition from the new burger place on the pier. If Goddards hang on a bit they may be able to move back in…
“THe campaign for Goddards saved a crucial building ” –
possibly so, but I think the word “crucial” is being a bit kind to some rather indistinguished buildings. But, yes, good that they were preserved, even if that’s not actually why Goddards got the petition up. It was their business that they were concerned about not architecture.
“if that had gone, the town centre would have lost the last vestige of character.” –
That’s right – after all the buildings of Wren, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh, Joseph Kay et alia, don’t contribute much, do they?
“Prodigal son….forgive old sins..” –
Use all the biblical language you like, and eat all the pies you like – you won’t be seeing me in Goddard’s.
I don’t know. You all talk about herritage but Inc have been serving Fish on that site since the birth of Christ!!!
Unless they were just a bunch of lying fish and chippers! 🙂
your decision, Jack – but it’s still a good thing we kept most of that block, which wouldn’t have happened without the goodwill Goddard’s generated. If the town centre keeps the Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor buildings but loses its modest working buildings and shops, a vital piece of its soul will go with it.
I totally understand your resentment – but if you’d rather they failed and we had another chain or Inc establishment, and you claim to love Greenwich, then that has to count as the very definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
“If the town centre keeps the Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor buildings but loses its modest working buildings and shops, a vital piece of its soul will go with it.” –
We can certainly agree upon that, but I think that calling this modest block “crucial”, and that without it the Town Centre would have “lost the last vestiges of character” is rather over-stating the case.
“if you’d rather they failed and we had another chain or Inc establishment, and you claim to love Greenwich, then that has to count as the very definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.” –
I don’t think that you completely understand what I’m trying to say here. I am commenting about my personal feelings about this chain of events, and my personal decision not to patronise the new pie shop. I am not trying to organise a boycott. I have not said that I want them to fail, neither do I expect them to.
I love goddards and absolutly hate inc with a passion. I have worked in the old goddards pie shop it was a delight. I am glad there back finally and wish them the best, bring on the pies
“I have worked in the old goddards pie shop it was a delight.”
Indeed it was, which is why it is such a shame that it’s now a second-rate burger joint.