End of term was in the air up Roman Road as local schools began to disgorge pupils onto the lunchtime pavements for the start of the Winter holidays on December 20th. For the avid scholars of the Pie and Mash Club however, it was something of a welcome home-coming as the famous Kelly's at no. 526 had been closed for two consecutive Christmases.

For my money Kelly's is the place to be for a festive pie and mash. Mince pies in the window along with a bucket of poinsettia, tasteful wreaths and adornments hanging from on high . . . all details to suggest good will and good health to all men without the puke-inducing excess of the Christmas retail experience.

The changes wrought upon the shop during its 2-year closure don't smack you in the proverbial mince pies though. The work done was more fundamental and fabric rather than merely cosmetic, and this included construction of a much-needed modern kitchen facility at the back of the premises.

The gleaming white tiles and singular metal pole seating arrangements have been thoughtfully retained. The most obvious difference is the removal of the rear 'cubby hole' room and the opening out of the main refectory.

And there, manning the counter most womanfully and with a welcoming smile, was pie and mash sweetheart, Leanne. Despite the newfangled touch-screen till and card payment facilities, the intervening years melted away in moments.

The house brew is Yorkshire. The silver salver for tea and milk is a classy touch – dare I say, something of a nod to the tea houses of the last century. Set against a marble backdrop, it all added up to a new level of elegance and excellence in pie and mash presentation.

Nick Everton attacked his 3-2 formation with all the alacrity you'd expect from someone sporting a mustard sweater.

Ray's choice of pullover was more seasonal'.

I get overheated just looking at pie and mash, and it could explain why Terry Moore opts for a cold cola with his.

Of course there's nothing more festive than a Coca Cola since they rebranded Father Christmas in their corporate red and white in the 1930s. The bearded old duffer was traditionally clad in green, symbolic of spring, hope and, in the better class of pie shop, parsley sauce.

Staying in the colour theme but by no means traditional, my stewed eels got a dash of Tabasco Mild – much the same visual effect as a bad case of catarrh.

Here's the lady whose vision for tasteful East End Pie and Mash has been realised in this long-awaited revamp of the Kelly's premises. Sue Vening and son Neil had to sack one set of builders and sit out two whole seasons to make the dream a reality.

In addition to a state-of-the-art kitchen, mention must be made of the immaculate new facilities at the rear end of the dining room. Spotlessly clean and spacious, this throne room could become a victim of its own success: it's not hard to imagine emerging from it in a bathrobe, clean-shaven, with a broadsheet tucked under one's arm.

Despite a surprising absence of custard to ease the mince pies downwards, we distributed those infamous pie and mash carol sheets, quelled the inhouse music system and broke into song glorious and uproarious.

Ray lit up for the occasion, and the Roman Road tiles reverberated to the strains of such classics as 'Jingle Pies', 'Silent Pie', 'Deck the Pies With Fillings of Mincemeat', 'Good King Statto' and 'I'm Dreaming of a Pie Christmas'.

After the merry making, and several ripples of muted applause, I was afforded a squint at Kelly's space age kitchen.

In that brushed steel and electronic milieu, it was a relief to find pies being made the old-fashioned way, by the fair and human hands of these lovely ladies Gemma and Cassie.

Joining Leanne in the stripy aprons was... Leanne!

The Venings have struck just the right tone with this revamp of their classic East End Pie Shop. If my notes are correct, the eponymous George Kelly started his business in 1922 at Bethnal Green in the black shop. In 1930 he acquired the premises of a former plumber's merchants at 526 Roman Road and traded there till the end of the war when Sue Vening's dad took it over. There was for many years a sister-branch at no.600  - the other end of the market. The Kellys, The Venings and these Pie Shops have been part of the fabric of the Roman Road community for 90 years, and the newly modernised premises do full justice to such a meaty social history.

When you consider that there are only a handful of authentic shops such as this left in London - living links to the city's past - it seems staggering that they receive no support from council, government or heritage bodies.

If you'd like to read more about the history of Kelly's and the Roman Road, get a copy of Melanie McGrath's 'Pie and Mash Down the Roman Road'

There was a steady influx of punters as we paused and posed for the post-pie pavement portrait.

Just along the street was this surprising sandwich board outside Roman Bagel. We can only assume they must have been filling a hole in the market while Kelly's was closed.

We hopped on a westbound bus and alighted at Bethnal Green's celebrated boozer, The Salmon and Ball, to quaff some pre-Christmas froth and bid farewell to the '10's.

Biya,

St@