AUTUMN 2018
16
MANCHESTER’S
HOTTEST STARTUPS
AVAILABLE AT HABITAT
Hello
We do things differently here. This season, Manchester’s taking it to the next level. Our entrepreneurial streak is making a name for us on the international scene, that’s why for issue 16 we’re celebrating local people doing great things in ‘Manchester’s 20 Hottest Startups’ (page 22), along with talking about the changing face of MCR with Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Advisor, Sacha Lord (page 55), and Secretary of the Residents’ Association at the Beetham Tower, Jo Farrell (page 42).
SIMON CARTER DARWIN BEE CUFFLINKS, £85
JO MALON ENGLISH MINT & GINGER LIP CARE, £20
Remember to use #amagazinemcr to share your MCR snaps with us this autumn
The A-family SPECIAL THANKS
HEAD OF CONTENT Bethany Lee
Editorials Jay Mawson Steven Spencer Lois Pickup
DESIGNER Sarah Snelling sarahsnelling.co.uk
4 A-MAGAZINE
@amagazineuk
www.amagazine.co.uk ©Copyright 2018 Kingdom Capital Limited
EDITOR Oliver Lilley
ONLINE EXECUTIVE Ash Howson
GIRL BOSS £7.99 at Waterstones
Content Kunal Trehan Thomas Hope Steph Martin Ffion Holloway
FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES please contact info@amagazine.co.uk FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES please contact oliver@amagazine.co.uk FOR INTERNSHIP ENQUIRIES please contact bethany@amagazine.co.uk Kingdom Capital Limited cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Kingdom Capital Limited take no responsibility for omissions or errors. All rights reserved.
Can your home in Manchester earn you extra?
Get Airsorted. Earn ÂŁ103 per night* on Airbnb by letting Airsorted manage your home hassle-free. Airsorted takes care of everything for you, from cleaning & laundry to 24/7 support for your guests, saving you time earning you more.
*Based on an Airsorted managed property in Central Manchester
Hassle-free home sharing A-MAGAZINE 5
I S S U E 16 // A D E L I N E // A U T U M N
22 42
58 52 A-Business
51 Tate Digital 52 Engage Hub 55 Sacha Lord: The King of Nightlife
66 A-Magazine
4 A-Family 87 Join the A-Family
Manchester
8 MCR Social 16 A-Guide to Float Festival 18 Umbrella Ball 2018 22 Manchester’s 20 Hottest Startups 40 City Living with Kunal Trehan 42 Women of the Beetham Tower 58 A-Magazine’s 30 Under 30 Networking Event
60 The New Working World 62 Airsorted, Hassle-Free Hosting 64 Clipper’s Quay: A New Way to Rent in Manchester
88 What’s On?
Interviews
30 Olivia Cooke: Oldham to Vanity Fair
6 A-MAGAZINE
10
Fashion & Beauty
32 Style Her 34 Autumn Hair Care with Thomas Hope
36 Style Him 38 Grooming Guide
40
Lifestyle
48 Parents’ Guide to Autumn
Food & Drink
66 Jamie Cooks Italy 70 Let’s Eat Manchester: Greater Manchester Hotspots
74 Autumn Cocktails
Travel
76 Madrid: The Place for Business 80 Edinburgh City Guide 84 The Alternative London City Guide
Win
89 Royal Exchange Theatre
36
32
ESTABLISHED UK COMPETITOR
NEW TO THE UK
IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON SOCIAL
IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON SOCIAL
890K
12.6M
PEOPLE REACHED
PEOPLE REACHED
20K
102K
ENGAGEMENTS
ENGAGEMENTS
1.2%
12,391%
FOLLOWER GROWTH
FOLLOWER GROWTH
THIS IS THE ENGAGE HUB WAY. WANT TO OVERTAKE YOUR COMPETITOR? 0161 222 3450 | ENGAGEHUB.CO.UK
social
THE BEST OF MANCHESTER THIS AUTUMN
Gin Journey Manchester ginjourney.com
Gin is having a moment right now, and there’s no better way to embrace it than with a gin journey around Manchester’s world-class cocktail bars. Let your gin guardian whisk you away on their “Gini-Bus” towards a day filled with gin cocktails, gin samples and gin-based history. Whether you can remember this history after all that gin is another story!
SCAREWOOD scarewood.co.uk
Enter the world of your favourite horror films and find your nightmares have come to life at Scarewood this October. Wander through wicked woodlands, scary cemeteries, and try to escape a virus-infected compound, and don’t forget to watch out for zombies and monsters on your way. If that’s too spooky for you, head to Cacklewood for face painting, slime making, and ghost stories with the little ones.
8 A-MAGAZINE
LO
WRY OUTLET
SAT 29TH – SUN 30TH
SEPTEMBER
SAT 27TH – SUN 28TH
OCTOBER
Featuring locally sourced artisan foods, drinks and award–winning crafts. Opening Times Sat 10am – 7pm Sun 11am – 5pm
social THE SPICE CLUB INDIAN COOKING
spiceclubuk.com/cookery-classes
Tired of whipping up the same two dishes for friends? Elevating your cooking skills from basic to brilliant has never been easier than with the Spice Club’s Indian Cookery School. With an intimate family-based feel, and the promise of divulging cooking secrets handed down through generations, The Spice Club provides everything needed to create an entire Indian meal; just bring yourself and your enthusiasm! Does someone you know need a hint about their cooking skills? Cookery class gift vouchers are also available to download from the website.
Flight Club
flightclubdarts.com/manchester
Manchester Art Fair manchesterartfair.co.uk
Celebrate the Northern art scene and find that unique art piece that’ll make your home stand out from the crowd at Manchester Art Fair. Back and bigger than ever for its tenth year, MAF connects artists with collectors and galleries. Browse thousands of original artworks from over 120 galleries and artists at the largest art fair in the North of England.
10 A-MAGAZINE
Forget what you know about darts - Flight Club is bringing a whole new look to the game. Flight Club’s new King Street home reinvents darts with dart-tracking technology and instant scoring, along with serving up some top-notch sharing plates including scrumptious pizzas and nacho stacks. Head here for a date with a difference, or to let off some steam with your mates.
Well. Deserved. Work Tripping. Urban. Authentic. Work Tripping. Go international. Go lifestyle. Go work and trip all at the same time with creative meeting spaces, wellness suites and 24/7 exercise classes. Linger in lobbies fit for living in, enjoy endless wifi and a daily offering of soft drinks. Time is short and life is full so maximise your moments as you worktrip the world with Innside. See you in Manchester.
#worktripping
0161 200 2500
innside.com/manchester
Aachen | Bremen | Dresden | DĂźsseldorf | Frankfurt | Hamburg | Leipzig | Manchester | Munich | New York | Mallorca | Yogjakarta | Wolfsburg | Zhengzhou
INNSIDE Escape Room
Home to a whole lot more than just gorgeous rooms, delicious food, and art installations from local creatives, INNSIDE Manchester have now got a new activity for us to try. The 4-star hotel is putting its own twist on escape rooms. Forget the usual sci-fi or spooky settings that we’re used to with these types of games, INNSIDE are bringing it back to Manchester with their escape room inspired by our very own city called ‘Manchester Relic Hunt’. You and up to four friends are tasked with figuring out who has stolen a secret ancient text from The John Rylands Library. A cryptologist with a shady past is the number one suspect and they just so happen to be a guest at the hotel. Step inside the suspect’s room where not everything is quite as it seems. You have 45 minutes to search the room for clues and solve the mystery. A great one to do with your work mates, this escape room certainly beats cheesy ice breakers in the boardroom when it comes to team building. Available every month at £20 per person, this also includes sharing platters and cocktails for you to tuck into as you debate who among you has the best detective skills.
Book at escaperoominnside.com • Follow @innsidemcr 12 A-MAGAZINE
social Hey Little Cupcake! Decorating class heylittlecupcake.co.uk/classes.html
Perfect for the little ones in your life, Hey Little Cupcake! teaches you how to create the cakes of your sweetest dreams in their decorating classes held on Sundays at their Spinningfields store. You’ll learn how to decorate cupcakes and even how to put together a cupcake bouquet, and, best of all, you’ll get to satisfy your sweet tooth too as you tuck into your cake creations at the end.
THE ALCHEMIST COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS thealchemist.uk.com/masterclass
Take your next visit to The Alchemist up a notch and learn how to make some of their signature cocktails. Grab a group of friends and sit back with the ‘Peaches and Cream’ cocktail as an expert mixologist teaches you the tricks of the trade. You’ll be a pro bartender in no time! Why not stay for dinner afterwards and make an evening of it?
POPUP PAINTING popuppainting.com
Unleash your inner Picasso with a painting session like no other. No experience required, these artist-led sessions are all about embracing your creativity. Grab a glass of wine and get to work on your masterpiece! Look out for PopUp Painting across Manchester this autumn, including a special Manchester bee themed session at INNSIDE Hotel in October.
A-MAGAZINE 13
PARAMOUNT BOOKS paramountbooks.co.uk
Family-owned since 1965, Paramount Books are keeping it old school - no emails, no Insta, just great books. From folklore to kung-fu, Paramount’s huge range of second hand books and comics have got you covered. While away a rainy afternoon here, flipping through their extensive range of books, and maybe even finding some hidden gems.
CHA-OLOGY
cha-ology.com
It turns out that you only have to head to Ancoats to immerse yourself in Japanese culture at tea house Cha-ology. Take some time for yourself in these chilled-out surroundings; enjoy Japanese tea that’s prepared in front of you and treat yourself to some Japanese sweets. It’s all about tradition here so remember to check out Cha-ology’s rules and book in advance to make the most of your visit.
Halloween in the City visitmanchester.com/ideas-andinspiration/halloween-in-the-city
Something spooky is sweeping over the city this October. Immerse yourself in the Halloween spirit as Manchester is taken over by all things creepy from the 21st to the 31st. From a ghostly world record attempt in Exchange Square, to iconic city centre buildings glowing green come nightfall, and a fancy-dress dog parade, it’s all about the treats this Halloween.
14 A-MAGAZINE
social Lowry Outlet Make more of Manchester’s waterfront and head to Lowry Outlet where you’ll find some of your favourite cafes, bars and restaurants. Enjoy alfresco dining and cocktails with friends or grab a tasty treat from one of our cafes. Enjoy up to 70% off the RRP on some of your favourite brands such as Molton Brown, AX Paris, M&S Outlet, Gap Outlet, Yankee Candle, Clarks Outlet, Next Outlet and many more. Enjoy our monthly makers market, taste the delights of fresh ice creams, locally brewed ales and discover vintage trinkets and handmade crafts.
Shop. Eat. Visit. Play. By the waterfront
A-MAGAZINE 15
GUIDE TO Discover what’s happening at Manchester’s very first wellbeing festival
The brains behind wellness consultancy The Vibrancy Hub and culture marketing agency Yolk are on a mission to make Manchester feel good with the city’s first wellbeing festival, Float Festival. Autumn is a huge period of change, so what better time of year to wind down from our summer adventures to rebalance and refocus for the coming months. Float Festival is bringing together mindfulness practitioners, yoga teachers, personal development gurus, foodies, artists and makers to revitalise us on 22nd September at Five Four Studios. Forget about the idea of ‘wellness’ as being perfect, Float Festival is all about joy and self-love. Everyone from babies to grandparents can have fun, create and learn with this day of talks, activities and workshops.
TALKS Get some much-needed inspiration at one of Float’s talks. Find out how to shake up your daily grind at the ‘Leaving the 9-5’ panel with expert advice from freelance gurus, or tempt your taste buds at Float’s ‘Foodies’ panel. WORKSHOPS From revitalising yoga classes to creative
calligraphy and foodie fun, there’s lots of workshops on offer to open your mind. Put pen to paper with founders of Artsynibs Studios and create your own Insta-worthy quote or lift your mood with some big moves and even bigger tunes at Moonshine Yoga’s high-energy session.
FOR THE KIDS There’s lots for the little ones at Float! Let the kids express their artistic side at a craft class as you embrace your inner child at the ‘Movement and Flow’ workshop. 16 A-MAGAZINE
TICKETS
Split into two sessions, morning (10.00-14.00) and afternoon (14.00-18.00), Float Festival gives you the flexibility to fit in wellness around your busy schedule. From just £40, you can get stuck into a world of wellness with one workshop, one main stage talk, and a meal voucher. Float Festival is all about enriching Manchester so £5 from every ticket sale goes to charity Forever Manchester that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester. Go all out with a full fat ticket from £58 at eventbrite.co.uk This lets you enjoy all eight hours of fun; get access to three workshops of your choice along with a Float t-shirt and tote bag to remember your day by. Want to take your little one? From £58, a parent and child ticket promises a few precious hours of special time for yourself and your child where you can recharge in some nostalgic workshops. If you’re busy but still keen to go, the accessibility ticket lets you decide which session is best for you - just make sure you email your preferred time of day in advance.
Find out more at floatfestivalmcr.co.uk Get your ticket at eventbrite.co.uk Follow @floatfestivalmcr
festival
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
PLAY
Putting Pen to Paper with Calligrapher Joyce Lee
Whimsical Ceramic Creation Workshop with Sonra Clay
Calling Timber: Wood and Brass Pendant Making Workshop with On the Brink Studio
Get your Rocks Out: Crystal Healing Workshop with Wolf Sister
Pillow Talk Embroidery Workshop with Covet Interiors
Shape of You: Clay Jewellery Workshop with Katie Betty
Back to Clay-sics with Sunken Studio
MOVE
It Takes Two: Acro Yoga with Leo Oppenheim
High Energy Happy Yoga with Moonshine
Feel Like a Dancer with Flowetic
PT without the Guilt-T: Fighting Fit with Vikki Mellard
Weight For Me: Strengthening Body and Mind with Sam Says PT
Tropical Beats: Reggae Yoga with Cariad
You’re an Animal, Baby: Movement with Fera
Soul Yoga with Samuel Nwokeka and Will Mitchell
ENGAGE
Material Girl: Make Some Stuff with Chloe Knights
Become Time Wealthy with Hannah Cox
Picture Perfect: Photography Workshop with Emma Susan
The Art of Peace: Mindful Art Workshop with The Owl & The Coconut
Boob Printing Workshop with Anti Diet Riot Club and Harri Rose
The ‘Question Everything’ Happiness Workshop with The Vibrancy Hub
Hormone MOT For Women with Nikki Hill Apothecary
Warrior Goddess Workshop with Babs OforiAcquah
INSPIRE
Leaving the 9-5 Panel. Get Flexi Baby
Foodies: Eat to Your Heart’s Content
Girl Gang Bang: Making the Matriarchy
No Pain, All Gain: Pain Workshop with Cam Dempster
Men Under Pressure Panel: Big Boys do Cry
Good Quality Series by Yolklore: How Not to be a Dick
The Care Conundrum Talks
Backflips in the Boardroom Panel: Can Work be Fun?
RESTORE
10am
11am
12am
Matcha Magic Workshop with Bird and Blend Tea
LINEUP
Helping Parents Find their Adventure with Mummificient’s Amy Windsor
Life Navigation: Book Reading with Bridget Leonard
Food without Fuss: Recipes and Learnings with Sophie Bratt and Jenny Woodberry
Spice of Life: Book Reading with Natasha MaCaller
The Future Is Sound: Sound Healing Workshop with Future Vibrations
Busting Bad Breathing Patterns Workshop with Cam Dempster
This Little Light of Mine: Candlelit Gazing Meditation with Ashleigh Guthrie
Breathe and Let Go with Breathpod’s Stuart Sandleman
A-MAGAZINE 17
Umbrella Ball 2018
The people of Manchester came together with A-Magazine for another incredible night in support of our city’s children’s charities
Thank You
A-Magazine would like to say a huge thank you to our incredible sponsors for the support they’ve offered to our chosen charities. It’s a brilliant example of Manchester’s community spirit that we’ve come together to support the future of our city by working with Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity and Kidscan. We hope that this is just the start of a great relationship between A-Magazine and so many Manchester businesses.
TAYLOR WARD & DAWN WARD
18 A-MAGAZINE
THE HALLE SUITE AT THE RADISSON BLU EDWARDIAN, MANCHESTER
A
-Magazine is all about celebrating the best of Manchester - and what better way to do it than our annual Umbrella Ball which supports the vital work done for our city and its people by local charities. We like to do charity events the A-Mag way of course: that means lots of fun, celebration and connection, all in aid of charities that are close to Manchester’s heart. The Umbrella Ball 2018 saw over two hundred of the city’s famous faces and top businessespeople arrive at the 5-star Radisson Blu Edwardian on Saturday 7th July for a night to remember in aid of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity and Kidscan. Thanks to the glorious sunshine and England’s football win, the streets of Manchester were already buzzing, and our fabulous guests arrived in high spirits ready to have a great evening and do their part for our chosen charities. Real Housewives of Cheshire, Dawn Ward and Nermina Pieters-Mekic, along with Hollyoak’s Gemma Merna and Love Island’s Alex Beattie brought the glamour, and teams from top Manchester companies Pomegranate Consulting, Methods, MSC Contractors and Touched Interiors brought some serious business. A stunning acoustic set from the gorgeous Darby Ward welcomed our guests into the Halle Suite which was transformed into a summer wonderland courtesy of Verdure Floral Design. The Halle was a hub of mingling, chatting, of course taking lots selfie taking – and even singing. Our fantastic host, Key 2’s Darren Proctor, kicked off the night, quite appropriately, with a football chant that had the whole room singing along. After a lively welcome, our
L TO R: ERIK PIETERS, NERMINA PIETERS-MEKIC ALEX KHAN, KUNAL TREHAN & THOMAS HOPE
THE UMBRELLA BALL WAS A GREAT WAY TO MIX BUSINESS NETWORKING AND A GOOD CAUSE IN ONE EVENT Harry Bentham of Methods PENNY HARMER JORDAN ADEFEYISAN
DARBY WARD & JORDAN BRACEWELL
ALEX BEATTIE & AMY KATRIANNE
A-MAGAZINE 19
KARL HODGKISS & RMCH MASCOT HUMPHREY
STEVEN SPENCER & DARBY WARD
ALICIA SUMMERS & JSKY
20 A-MAGAZINE
guests were moved by the brilliant speeches given by Penny Hamer from Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity and Coleen Quinn, a patient ambassador for Kidscan, about the lifesaving work done by both charities. During dessert, we were given a sweet treat by comedian Allyson June Smith who had us loving every minute of her Manchester-themed stand-up. Excitement hit fever-pitch as Darren drew the prizes for our luxury prize draw. There were screams and excitement and smiles as Darren handed out heavyweight prizes, a 5-star holiday to St. Lucia, a Simba mattress and Christian Louboutin goodies, along with dinners at some of Manchester best restaurants. Our competitive streaks came out as guests bid against each other for top prizes in our online silent auction. A
super yacht experience in the Balearic Islands and luxury getaway in the South of France prompted fierce bidding wars. Our star prize, an original oil painting of the view over the city from restaurant, 20 Stories, by Manchester artist by Stephen Maxwell Campbell, was snapped up by Global Eagle’s Claire Lyon. The only way to end such an amazing evening was with an epic set of Manchester dancefloor fillers from the one and only Clint Boon. Taking us back to the 90s, the Inspiral Carpet’s legend got everyone on their feet to hit the dancefloor with friends old and new. The Umbrella Ball 2018 was a night to remember that brought the best of Manchester together to support our city by making valuable new connections and helping the vital work done by two incredible Manchester children’s charities.
To attend or sponsor 2019’s Umbrella Ball, please email info@amagazine.co.uk
COLEEN QUINN
GEMMA MERNA
CLINT BOON
ANSAR MAHMOOD
ALLYSON JUNE SMITH
MY TEAM HAD A FUN NIGHT GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE THAT’S PART OF THE A-FAMILY Steven Spencer of Wrapp Agency
A-MAGAZINE 21
MANCHESTER’S
HOTTEST STARTUPS Our pick of the most inspiring startups and stepups in our city
22 A-MAGAZINE
#mcr20startups Dave Rigby, Greg Hull, Louise Rivers-Hull & Mike Hughes
MANCHESTER’S
HOTTEST STARTUPS
| Manchester Three Rivers
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Our Master Distiller Dave Rigby owned a café bar and was inspired by great products with interesting and authentic stories. Sourcing and working with these products became his passion. He had always felt gin was an interesting category because of its history, narratives and the way in which flavour and style could be experimented with but had never found one that he really loved…so, being a Mancunian, he decided to set out on a journey to learn how to develop, produce and create a world-class gin that he wanted to drink. To achieve this, he brought together 3 like-minded friends who all quit their jobs and set about creating the City of Manchester Distillery - the first ever city centre distillery in Manchester’s history!
WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?
The love of it. Plain and simple. A start-up will rightly take over your life, and if we didn’t love, not just the business we are in, but working for ourselves, for our own creation then we wouldn’t do it. Also, the feedback we have received from our customers and guests keeps us very motivated. It means everything to us when someone says we are their favourite gin, or a guest says our Gin Experience is the best thing they have ever done.
Sam Fry & Jess Ludlam | J’adore Models
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Wanting to do something different - we saw there was a gap in the market. Manchester didn’t have the same quality and calibre of models as other markets but definitely had the people and the potential to. We wanted to change the stigma of London being the only UK market with top models and showcase what our city and beyond has to offer. We want Manchester recognised for being fresh and relevant.
WHAT MAKES MANCHESTER A GREAT PLACE TO START A BUSINESS?
Manchester is rapidly becoming a central hub for fast fashion and houses some of the biggest names in the industry. It’s a place full of music, history, culture and its people are full of humour and grit. It supports young independent talent and welcomes ripping up the rule book. It picks itself up, learns from experiences and moves forwards stronger – a quality that is ingrained in everything we do.
A-MAGAZINE 23
MANCHESTER’S
#mcr20startups
HOTTEST STARTUPS
Katie & Emma Nattrass-Daniels | Crème Creative
WHAT MAKES MANCHESTER A GREAT PLACE TO START A BUSINESS?
Tom Pickersgill | Broadstone
WHAT MAKES MANCHESTER A GREAT PLACE TO START A BUSINESS?
Manchester is a thriving community; a fantastic city to live and work and as such, we’ll always see it as our home. We have a fantastic pool of talent based in Manchester that gets stronger by the day and we’ve also got access to a community of business leaders and CEOs who are on a similar journey to us. This provides us with unique opportunities to network and share ideas and best practice. It’s a great community to be a part of.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Alongside my co-founders, James and Nick, we identified a sector that had not innovated much in over a decade. Within recruitment, processes were still antiquated and this baffled us. We saw an opportunity to make a real impact and we jumped on it. From where we began our journey in 2016, we’ve since expanded the scope of our service to arrive at where we are today - a staffing platform that leverages AI and Machine Learning to match jobseekers with work opportunities at some of the largest employers in the UK.
24 A-MAGAZINE
Manchester’s a great city to be in right now, there’s a lot going on and the city has so many great plans, including arts centre and new home of the Manchester International Festival, The Factory. There’s more to life than London, right? And Manchester has this strong fashion presence and history as well, which is fitting for us as fashion specialists. We’ve carved out a niche in what is becoming quite a competitive industry.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST WHEN SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS?
How much you work but how utterly liberating it is! 12 hour days are common but not once have we had the ‘Monday dreads’! Setting up your own business is by no means easy but looking back at what we have achieved in such a short amount of time, you just can’t beat that feeling - this is what we have built. We don’t know what the future holds, but that’s exciting! We believe that if you work hard and you’re a good person, then good things will happen.
Craig Barclay | Cube Staffing WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Part of the reason I wanted to launch Cube is to bring back the personalised touch and getting to know people, getting to know the client and the candidates to such a level that you can match them perfectly. A lot of the big corporate companies, or the companies I’ve worked for in the past, have lost that touch - there’s no personality there. By creating my own business, I can make sure that we’re providing a quality service with personality - personality in our people and personality in our business. I think people thrive in that environment.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
I always ensure that my team is happy and that I’m happy in work. We spend so much time in work, so you’ve got to have a good time and you’ve got to enjoy your job. I firmly believe we stand out because we enjoy working here and if my team are looked after, they automatically look after our clients.
#mcr20startups
MANCHESTER’S
Adam Kamani
| Kamani Property Group WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS?
Eddie De Lewis & Will Morris | Final Stage
WHAT MAKES A GREAT START-UP IN 2018?
Dedicated and committed founders. A start-up is only as good as the people running it and any successful start-up will have to graft hard for it to work.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
We offer a solution that no one else does. Talent Sharing is a new market and we are the first players to this market. Our solution decreases the cost per hire, improves hiring efficiencies and betters the recruitment experience for candidates.
HOTTEST STARTUPS
Some of my business goals for the next 3 years include my ambition to revolutionise real estate. There’s been a huge shift in the way people are viewing property now that everything has moved to online. Examples of this could include using video to entice potential buyers rather than photos and losing the 10% agent fees to make it more cost effective for the consumer. An additional business goal is to do with my team. The team have grown from 5 to 16 people in the last 2 years and it’s all thanks to the hard work and opportunity that they continually put into place. Talent attracts talent and I’d love to see this number grow again over the next 3 years.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
I’ve always had a keen interest in the property sector, but I would say my family are my biggest inspiration when it came to launching Kamani Property Group. A passion to do whatever it takes to succeed has been at the root of our family since the beginning. My brothers are great inspirations for me and we are very big on empowering each other and working together.
Carolyn Willitts | CW Studio
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
We are passionate about being ourselves, trying to view the world from a different angle and embracing creative collaboration. The company offers genuine flexible working which means I get to work with some amazing women who otherwise may not be able to juggle childcare with being talented and dedicated landscape architects.
HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS HELP GIVE BACK TO MANCHESTER?
We have recently assisted two charities in Manchester with volunteered time and support. For the Steve Burne Rooms at the Ronald McDonald House Manchester we are currently designing a quiet, reflective roof terrace for the children’s garden. The House provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children receiving treatment in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and St Mary’s Neonatal Unit.
A-MAGAZINE 25
MANCHESTER’S
#mcr20startups Mylo Kaye | Pledge WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
HOTTEST STARTUPS
Carma Masson | playground. WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?
I think, as with many designers, seeing and hearing people’s responses to a design first hand is really motivating; knowing that you have improved their neighbourhoods and lives in some way, made them proud to live there, or even just made them smile or helped create a memory. Seeing a place change for the better in front of your eyes over a period of time is really rewarding, particularly if your project has helped kick-start the change. I travel a lot, so I also find motivation in seeing other city’s neighbourhoods regenerate and become places of pride and interest; I enjoy seeing how they went about it and learning about their unique stories. I also find a great sense of motivation in meeting new interesting people, often while travelling, hearing their business stories, dreaming up with them ways
we can collaborate, and watching them succeed and grow.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST WHEN SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS?
I was most surprised by how much more is going on in the city than you think! I have gone from being a consumer to a provider, each day learning about new organisations that I didn’t know existed, that each work in different ways to mould the city into the great place that it is. Also, there are so many sides to a business, and in order to succeed, you can’t hide from any of them. I’ve learnt to spend time on all of them, especially those I’m weakest at, to try and become the best business I can be. I think that as with all creatives, you instinctively just want to create great things for people and make them happy, and it’s easy to forget you are a business too.
I’ve run multiple tech companies for the past ten years, and they have always had a social conscious. Me starting a charity is a natural evolution of the meaningful CSR programmes I’ve had in my previous companies, just on a larger scale. Pledge is focused on helping people living in poverty, but this mission of helping others has always been ingrained in the companies I’ve been part of.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT START-UP IN 2018?
Two key attributes to be a great start-up in 2018 is being adaptable to changing markets and having leadership that can think ahead. Being adaptable means pivoting your business model when you find something needs changing - this is key to staying relevant. Having the right leadership who think a few years ahead will help you carve out opportunities that others cannot see yet if you find the next significant innovation in your industry, you could be the new start-up unicorn.
Paul Bailey, Antonio Giansante & David Newton | BGN WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
We are pink. We are bold. We’re brand-led and business focused, and we believe that our design and development work speaks for itself. What’s different about BGN is that we have the structure and expertise of a big agency, so our clients benefit from direct access to a senior team but in a boutique sized agency.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST WHEN SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS?
We weren’t expecting how open other businesses would be about giving us advice and talking about what they’d done wrong in the past, allowing us to avoid making some of the mistakes they had made. We were also surprised by how long our to-do lists get on a daily basis!
26 A-MAGAZINE
#mcr20startups
MANCHESTER’S independent and build something of my own. I was never a great employee as I just had opinions and frustrations on how things could have been done better (well, so I thought) and I always believed that I could do it myself.
HOTTEST STARTUPS
Matt Bird
| We Are Gntlmen WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
Chloé Cotard & Franky Rousell | Jolie Studio
The actual brand concept came after catching an episode of a well-known reality TV show based in Essex. As funny as it sounds, it literally made me think ‘What ever happened to being a gentleman!?’. From there, I thought clothes would be a good way to go about telling this story and beginning the quest to reinvent the true gent! I’ve always known that I wanted to be
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD? We’re a brand that stands for something more than just a shirt on your back and we’ve actually got a story to tell. Our fit, fabric choices, attention to detail and pricing are superior to other brands we compete with. It’s easy for me to say that, but our customers tell me the same thing. We do things a little bit differently with our content, our events and the way we sell our items. I think we create an emotional and personal connection with our customers, which I think is really valued, so combine that with a product that works and hopefully that continues to help us stand out in the very noisy crowd!
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
‘Jolie’ which literally translates from French as ‘pretty’ is a diverse word that can be applied to a feeling, a place or an object. We wanted to start an interiors business that would no longer get away with just creating aesthetically driven spaces that look great in a glossy magazine, but actually feel amazing when you are in them. This was derived out of our personal experiences in spaces that were having a negative impact on our wellbeing, and witnessing the impact of the environment on friends, family and businesses we were meeting at the time.
HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS HELP GIVE BACK TO MANCHESTER?
The property sector in Manchester is booming with more and more businesses and people moving into the city which we feel gives us the opportunity to create a community of spaces with a moral conscience. By putting people at the heart of our design work, we can create beautiful spaces that allow our communities and businesses to thrive, living a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, whilst also competing on the global design market.
Lisa Forshaw & Laura Stubbs | Real PR WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
We think it’s our passion and the fact that like our company name suggests we are ‘real’. We each have 3 children, so we work very hard for them and we genuinely love what we do, and everyone says that shines through. From start to finish we always give 100%.
WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS?
We want to remain a boutique PR firm as it is very important to us that our clients continue to get a personal and interactive service from us. We also want to continue to grow MCR Fashion Festival as we think it’s really important that Manchester is celebrated for its growing fashion credentials and is firmly put on the fashion map.
A-MAGAZINE 27
#mcr20startups
MANCHESTER’S
Ged McPartlin HOTTEST STARTUPS
| Ascend Properties WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS?
Ascend is already growing at such a rapid rate. In just 2 years we’re already up to 4 flagship stores in some of the North’s key cities and we don’t plan on stopping there. Over the next 3 years we aim to grow our portfolio massively with the amount of properties we manage. I’m excited for what the future has in store for Ascend.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT START-UP IN 2018?
For me, a great start-up would be something that’s unique and can be tailored to a wider market. If someone wants to make a business work in 2018, I think they’ve really got to think about what their product is, how it’s different to what someone else might already be doing, and seriously consider who their target market is. These are key factors to think about when putting a business plan together!
Chris Airey, Craig Tomkins, Malcolm Evans, Mike Anderson & Paul Addy | Padoq WHAT MAKES A GREAT START-UP IN 2018?
Being a great start-up in 2018 requires more than just a great idea. People expect a start-up to continuously engage with its user base when developing a product. It’s no longer enough to just develop a product, send it out into the world and expect people to adapt their lifestyle around it. Users expect a product that integrates seamlessly and works more efficiently than their current systems. They expect to have a say in how the end product functions, and for companies to operate in an ethical manner. If your start-up can’t meet these expectations, even a fantastic product can’t make up for it.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
Padoq approaches social media from a different angle from others in the market. Instead of leaning on the monetisation of personal data, Padoq gives data control back to the users. We allow users to create an ‘untethered’ social media profile, where they can be themselves in the groups they choose to join. We also plug payments into the social experience, allowing users to easily send and receive money in an organised fashion within their communities (or Padoqs as we call them!).
28 A-MAGAZINE
Craig Davies, Stephen Powell & Craig Gidley | Viper
WHAT MAKES MANCHESTER A GREAT PLACE TO START A BUSINESS?
From a tech perspective, Manchester is ever-expanding and is really thriving when it comes to the tech community and businesses in general. Not too long ago, it was ranked first in a top-10 list of cities to do business, ahead of Paris, Berlin and Rome. We’re also very lucky to live in Manchester and have a good knowledge of a Manchester nightlife industry which is flourishing. With no restrictions on how many bars, clubs and restaurants can be introduced to the city, it has been the perfect place for us to test the market with Viper.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
We feel there is nothing coming close to what we are offering, and our links to the best bars in Manchester ensures users have unrivalled access to exclusive upgrades during their night out. Whether customers need to find the best bars, have drinks ready on arrival, find which bars have VIP booths available or simply need a queue jump, Viper lets them do this from the palm of their hand. Viper’s top priority is to ensure only the top standard of bars in Manchester are available on the app and the likes of Impossible, The Living Room, Dirty Martini, Revs De Cuba and Neighbourhood are just some of the first to realise the impact the app can have in the city. We want all night out goers to think about using Viper ahead of every night out. The same way they would think to use Uber for their taxis or Skyscanner to book a flight. There’s a huge gap in the market for Viper to succeed!
#mcr20startups
MANCHESTER’S
Libby Witherden & Colette Brown | Solid Ground WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED?
No single day is the same at Solid Ground. Working in a small team, we have to be in tune with everything that’s going on in the business, so one minute we could be Instagram-ing a giant polar bear and the next we’re pitching to international developers in London. Also, the satisfaction of seeing one of our ideas succeed is a huge buzz and it’s great to celebrate with the team at the end of a long event day.
outsource a lot of the work. Being in the property industry, it’s also unusual to have two female co-founders.
HOTTEST STARTUPS
WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
One of Solid Ground’s USPs is that we actually deliver the services in-house, so our clients know that they have a one-stop shop for all of their placemaking needs, whereas many other agencies
Richard Lister, Aaron Nicholas, Ryan Nicholas & Rob Binder | A UP WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS? After a few years of working on creative jobs together, we decided to start a collective of experienced videographers, photographers, production crew and editors that clients trust and want to book time and time again. Our clients include Nike, Adidas, Esquire Magazine, ISawItFirst, and Quiz clothing. We pride ourselves on being able to offer our clients everything they need to fulfil their creative vision. Our work is seen online and in print, as well as being on billboards and TV almost weekly.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT START-UP IN 2018? Enthusiasm, experience and passion!
Steven Spencer | Wrapp Agency WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?
The fact that we’re a smaller agency that solely concentrates on styling and the creative process around styling and costume design sets us apart. Each client is treated like an individual to ensure all their needs are met, whether that’s designing costumes for a TV commercial, helping concept and shoot a fashion campaign, or dressing celebrities for red carpet events.
HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS HELP GIVE BACK TO MANCHESTER?
We run a lot of work placement schemes with educational outlets to help young people get into the industry. We also support a number of emerging designers and help them get their designs into publications and out into the public eye.
• Discover more about our startups at amagazine.co.uk
A-MAGAZINE 29
O
ldham-born actress Olivia Cooke has made the move to Hollywood but is she ready for her biggest challenge yet: taking on Britain’s prime time Sunday night TV slot with the UK’s latest adaptation of Vanity Fair? The 18th century novel about the search for wealth and social climbing in English society has been adapted into an eightpart series for ITV in which Cooke plays the feisty Becky Sharpe. We chat to the actress about relocating from Manchester to Hollywood and her next big career step.
VANITY FAIR IS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SHOWS LIKE DOWNTON ABBEY; HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? Olivia: It’s prime Sunday night telly, the kids are back at school, and it’s getting into autumn and a lot hinges on what your drama of choice is around that time. I love the fact that England still has this telly culture where everyone sits down to watch that programme even in the age of Netflix and streaming services. I really hope that people will embrace it as much as the drama before it. WHAT HAS PLAYING YOUR CHARACTER, BECKY, IN VANITY FAIR TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF? That you can afford to not wallow in things that have been missed or lost, and that it
can be quite crucial and helpful to plan, as my character Becky Sharp often does. There’s always a plan, always a scheme, after something goes wrong IF YOU COULD BE MORE LIKE YOUR VANITY FAIR CHARACTER, BECKY, IN SOME WAY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I’d like to be a little bit naughtier, a little bit more mischievous, and I would like to not care about what people think of me. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES THE SHOW SPECIAL? I think it’s been told and retold time and time again because it is such a special story. Even when the book by William Makepeace Thackeray is set in the early 1800s, it was so forward-thinking, and even though it felt definitely of the time, these characters are incredibly modern and I think will continue to be related to whatever time we’re in at the moment. I think this adaptation plays with that modernity, into the way its shot, the language isn’t overly stuffy and doesn’t alienate an audience and looks to the camera, which I think invites the audience in even more. There’s an attitude to it; there’s an air of cheekiness that I don’t think has been in other adaptations before. WHAT DOES BEING FROM THE NORTH MEAN TO YOU? Well there’s an inherent identity with the North that I think is different from being from anywhere else in England. There’s this sense of strength; there’s a bit of a
chip on our shoulder. There’s definitely a chip on my shoulder from feeling immensely proud of coming from Oldham and having the accent that I do, but also that there’s still the ingrained class battles that you have to face and prove yourself just because of the accent - how it kind of dictates the working-class background, but I think that there’s a massive amount of pride there for me because I’m Northern. HOW WAS MOVING FROM OLDHAM TO AMERICA? I was 18 when I did it and it felt like there was just no other option to me. I just wanted to get out of Oldham and travel. I wanted to excel in my career and I got a job in America; I got a job in Canada first, so there was no other option. HOW DID YOU FIND WORKING WITH STEVEN SPIELBERG ON READY PLAYER ONE? He was just really lovely and down to earth. I mean you never forget the fact that you’re working with Steven Spielberg, but he undercuts your nervousness with his own anxiety about the performance at hand and, I mean, not any outright advice, but his demeanour and his kindness on set is very inspiring. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANCHESTER AND AMERICA? Accent! The humour, but I mean, architecture-wise, between Manchester and where I was in New York, is not too dissimilar.
Olivia Cooke
OLDHAM TO VANITY FAIR
A new Northern star is born 30 A-MAGAZINE
IN THE UK, AND MANCHESTER ESPECIALLY, WE’RE SEEING MORE WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES - DO YOU THINK IT’S THE SAME IN THE US? I think there’s a conversation about it everywhere because it’s at the forefront at the moment, and it’s in the press all the time. There are some changes with more female producers, more female storytellers, but I still think it’s being talked about a lot and I think a lot of these ideas need to be put into action. THERE’S A HUGE PUSH FOR WOMEN TO GAIN MORE DIVERSE ROLES AT THE MOMENT, WHAT’S YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THAT BEEN? I have only ever taken roles that have interested me. In the past, before it became a massive conversation, I hadn’t really thought about taking a role that’s just the girlfriend, or the wife, or the woman at home pregnant, while the man goes off on the massive adventure, that, even without me thinking about it, wasn’t really interesting to me and I’ve always wanted to challenge myself. I’m quite grateful for the fact that I’ve always played diverse roles and hopefully will continue to! SINCE THE START OF THE ‘ME TOO’ MOVEMENT AND THE REVELATIONS ABOUT HARVEY WEINSTEIN, HAVE YOU NOTICED A SHIFT IN YOUR INDUSTRY? I’ve noticed that men are a little bit more timid, scared. I mean, god! It doesn’t mean
you can’t talk to us! [laughs]. I’ve noticed that there’s a little bit of a shift, but I think also it’s a bit too soon to be able to see if there’s been a complete upheaval. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN? Be kind but firm. WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? I think meeting and becoming really, really good friends with the cast in Vanity Fair: Claudia, David, Tom, Johnny, and Charlie. I can honestly say that I love them all to pieces, and even if the show doesn’t do well I’m so happy to have met them and to have worked with them. LOTS OF ACTORS ARE NOW VENTURING INTO WRITING, PRODUCING AND DIRECTING, DOES THAT APPEAL TO YOU AT ALL? Yeah absolutely! I’m already starting to do that. I’ve got a couple of films that I’m producing at the moment. There are new authors and there are new stories and short stories that I get sent and articles that I find really appealing and would love to get the rights to, and option, and develop that into a story. HOW DID YOU FIND PLAYING BECKY SHARPE? DID YOU RELATE TO HER? Well the thing is, as actors, we’re always dialling up and dialling down little bits of ourselves, because in order for it to be honest it’s always got to come through the
OLIVIA STARS AS BECKY SHARP IN ITVs VANITY FAIR
prism of our personalities. I mean I love her [Becky’s] cheekiness, and her mischievous side, but I would hope that her selfishness, and her blinkered view of the world, and her cutthroat ambitions in life doesn’t exactly mirror mine! THE SERIES IS BASED ON A NOVEL FROM THE 1800S; DO YOU THINK AUDIENCES TODAY WILL STILL FIND IT RELATABLE? I think it’s a story that has been incredibly, incredibly timely for whatever period of history that we’re in at the moment. I think that’s why it’s been adapted so many times. I think it will continue to be timely because it’s got two women at the forefront, and their love is the longest lasting love and relationship throughout the entire book. They’re two incredibly flawed, [seemingly] perfect women and neither is the archetype for a pure honest woman.
THERE’S AN INHERENT IDENTITY WITH THE NORTH... THERE’S THIS SENSE OF STRENGTH; THERE’S A BIT OF A CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER
A-MAGAZINE 31
Mulberry: The Leighton Step up your accessory game with Mulberry’s latest offering - The Leighton. Featuring a trio of straps and the brand’s latest hardware, The Rider’s Lock, the handbag comes in go-to autumnal tones, deep amber and rust orange.
Christian Louboutin Interior Design Fall 2018
Put your best foot forward this autumn with Louboutin’s autumn collection. Nodding to 60s and 70s design, these new styles mix and match colours and textures making for shoes that’ll do all the talking. Pick up a pair at Selfridges.
Harvey Nichols’ Own Label Range Shakti Shanti
Master your warrior pose and look great doing it thanks to Shakti Shanti’s athleisure clothing. MCR’s fitness fanatics can find their inner zen and refresh their wardrobe all in one place with a visit to Shakti Shanti’s latest stockist, Manchester yoga studio, The Life Centre North.
32 A-MAGAZINE
If anyone can bring some sex appeal to snacks - it’s Harvey Nichols. Their Own Label Range sees them give some of our favourite snacks a makeover with sleek, iridescent packaging. Treat yourself to a naughty nibble in store or online.
3
4
2
1
5
6
G A N A-M TUM AU IT ED
7
10
8
9
11
12 1 HAIDER ACKERMANN Double-breasted two-tone satin blazer, £1,130 2 BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Asymmetric satin midi skirt, £850 3 ACNE STUDIOS Musubi Maxi knotted suede shoulder bag, £1,000 4 ROKSANDA Cleoda bow-embellished crepe blazer, £1,195 5 LOEFFLER RANDAL Cooper corduroy ankle boots, £400 6 REDVALENTINO Pussy-bow stretch-crepe mini dress, £435 7 AEYDÈ Leila leather ankle boots, £250 8 BRANDON MAXWELL Crepe wide-leg pants, £888 9 AGNONA Cropped checked tweed straight-leg pants, £895 10 JASON WU Satin coat, £2,240 11 KHAITE Julie cashmere turtleneck sweater, £520 12 BRANDON MAXWELL Bow-embellished satin-twill halterneck top, £1,782
A-MAGAZINE 33
AU TU M N
HAIR C A R E with Thomas Hope We hear from A-Magazine’s Hair Expert about how best to take care of your hair this season Thomas Hope is the founder and style director of luxury on-demand beauty service Artisté. With 15 years’ experience with him and his team in the hair and beauty industry, Thomas is a creative spirit that’s passionate about making every client’s experience with him a true indulgence.
WHAT IS ARTISTÉ?
Artisté is a beauty app that’s redefining the true meaning of luxury. We believe in developing your expression of your individual style with the help of highly-skilled professionals along the way. Artisté offers a variety of services from luxury Balmain blow drys to creative and trend-led hair updos. Our services allow you to choose from a selection of looks and our bespoke services look to provide men and women with the opportunity to truly ‘be who you want, when you want’.
WHAT SERVICES DOES ARTISTÉ OFFER? Whether it be an early morning meeting, a starstudded red carpet event, a glamorous dinner, or just an overdue catch up with friends, each one of our experts will work to deliver an immaculate service at your chosen destination. We’re also available for group bookings, weddings and events where we offer a bespoke style station delivering hair and make-up touch ups for your guests. Our services are delivered 7 days a week, 5am until 10pm in Birmingham, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Staffordshire.
34 A-MAGAZINE
Thomas’ Top tips
MUST-HAVE PRODUCTS
1
1 LABEL.M ANTI-FRIZZ BALM £17.50 (150ml)
The baobab extract in the anti-frizz range helps to keep the hair hydrated to resist frizzing during the wetter weather, along with adding a faster blow-dry time which is always appreciated!
As the seasons change, so must our hair care routine. The autumn weather brings cooler temperatures which lift the cuticle slightly to cause a loss of moisture and shine, add the heat from our central heating and heat tools, and it creates a tricky situation. Here are my top tips and products that’ll help take care of your hair throughout the autumn season.
2 LABEL.M THERAPY SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER £15.75 (200ml) / £18.75 (150ml) Start with a great base of shampoo and conditioner which is sulphate and paraben free to reverse visible signs of hair ageing, leaving the hair strong and radiant looking. The therapy range is great for: boosting collagen to smooth and reduce coarseness; strengthening thin hair with volume-building proteins, giving dull or greying hair increased luminosity.
2
PROTECTIVE STYLING
Use plaits, twists and buns worn with a natural texture to secure the hair up and away from the elements, reducing the need for heat styling.
3 BALMAIN BARRETTE POUR CHEVEUX LARGE TORTOISE SHELL £56
TRAVEL SIZES
To give an edge to the season’s textured waves and curls, use a staple for this autumn with an oversized retro barrette like the tortoise shell barrette from Balmain, or give a nod to the 80s with a ‘pince à cheveux’ to add a touch of class to any casual up do.
3
Keep a selection of travel sizes handy so that if the damp weather comes you are prepared with a hairspray to tame flyways and Balmain’s mini moisturising elixir is a life-saver for moisturising those ends.
4 OLAPLEX £18.70 (100ml)
REGULAR VISITS TO YOUR STYLIST
Not to be confused with a traditional conditioning treatment, Olaplex gives the opportunity to restore the hair after thermal damage caused by heat tools, alongside repairing damage caused by your summer colour services. It works by reconnecting the disulfide bond in the hair on a molecular level, adding strength to the hair and preventing breakage.
4
Usually I would recommend 6-8 week trims but during the winter months I would opt for a snip every 6 weeks. Using the term “a little dusting off the ends” is one of my favourite ways to express that you would like to maintain the entire length but just keep the ends healthy.
5 BALMAIN REPAIR MASK £30.45 (200ml)
5
When the hair needs to increase its moisture level to help with dryness this Balmain hair mask will leave hair shiny and manageable. Use for 5-10 minutes, once a week.
6 INVISIBOBBLE £6.00 When I secure hair for a service, I always consider the effect on the hair and the tension caused by hair grips and bands, the invisibobble is the perfect alternative to traditional hair elastics at home that cause stress on the hair and breakage.
6
7 BALMAIN MINI ALL-PURPOSE SPA BRUSH £21.85
7
• Find out more about Artisté at artiste.co.uk
10 minutes of scalp massage a day promotes blood circulation, encouraging healthy hair growth and relieving tension, so this brush is definitely a go-to handbag essential. 100% natural boar bristles carry natural oils from the scalp to the ends of the hair shaft, repairing dry hair and frizzy, whilst nylon bristles support the stimulation of the scalp.
A-MAGAZINE 35
inov-8 G-SERIES
Science meets fashion in this revolutionary offering from inov-8. Graphene – the strongest material in the world – was discovered here in Manchester and it’s now been incorporated into the soles of inov-8’s running shoes. Super resistant to wear and boasting r. brilliant grip, the G-SERIES just might be the future of footwea Pick up your pair at Ellis Brigham.
Bellagio: Winners Watch
The makers of handcrafted watches Bellagio Europe have teamed up with Manchester City F.C. to create their very own ‘Winners Watch’ with the Premier League Champions. Instantly recognisable to supporters, the watch is proudly finished in Manchester City’s signature colours. Exclusive for this year, there are only 2,018 of the watches in existence so order yours at winnerswatches.com. City season card holders can get a £50 discount by emailing their ticket details to info@bellagio-europe.com.
LANX
Put your best food forward this autumn in LANX’s debut collection. The English men’s shoemakers are loud and proud about their Lancashire heritage with every pair of their shoes being stamped with the Lancashire rose and their British White bull mascot. These are limited release shoes so head to lanx.com to snap up your goto shoe of the season.
36 A-MAGAZINE
1 2
3
4
G A N A-M TUM AU IT ED
5
8
7
6
9
10 11 1 BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Double-Breasted Merino Wool And Cashmere-Blend Coat, £4,460 2 POP TRADING COMPANY Logo-Appliquéd Fleece-Back Cotton-Jersey Hoodie, £95 3 PAUL SMITH Navy A Suit To Travel In Soho Slim-fit Wool Suit, £730 4 RED WING SHOES 8085 Iron Ranger Leather Boots, £280 5 JOHN ELLIOT The Cast 2 Skinny-Fit Distressed Denim Jeans, £320 6 DUNHILL Hampstead Canvas-Panelled Full-Grain Leather Backpack, £695 7 TOM FORD Pre-Tied Cotton-Velvet Bow Tie, £165 8 ASPESI Mélange Shetland Wool Sweater, £180 9 PATAGONIA Torrentshell Waterproof H2No Performance Standard Nylon-Ripstop Hooded Jacket, £120 10 GUCCI + Los Angeles Angels Appliquéd Mélange Loopback Cotton-Jersey Sweatshirt, £875 11 POLO RALPH LAUREN Logo-Appliquéd Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt, £70
A-MAGAZINE 37
DOLCE & GABANNA VELVET CYPRESS PERFUME £300 (150ML) A blend of bergamot and lemon captures the air of summer in the Italian countryside in this DG fragrance.
AGE DEFENDER CLEANSER £27 (150ML) Formulated with Moroccan Lava Clay, use this daily cleanser as a wash or mask to smooth the appearance of fine lines and improve your skin’s texture.
ANTHELIOS INVISIBLE ANTI-SHINE MIST £14 (75ML) Keep your skin feeling fresh and protected with a high UVA and UVB protection, leaving you with an invisible, mattfinish texture.
LAB SERIES FUTURE RESCUE REPAIR SERUM £50 (50ML) Turn back time with a high-performance, antiaging treatment to visibly restore your youth and fortify your skin’s protective barrier.
MOLTON BROWN COASTAL CYPRESS & SEA FENNEL DEODORANT £20 (150ML) Stay smelling fresh and add a salty splash of cypress to your day with Molton Brown’s coastal deodorant.
T HE GU I D E
TOM FORD SHAVE CREAM £52 (165ML) Formulated for a close shave, get smooth, radiant skin with a creamy, rich and cooling shave cream filled with a citrus herbal smell.
38 A-MAGAZINE
HARRY’S WINSTON RAZOR £18 Take total control over your shave with a weighty razor that fits perfectly in your hand; the precision trimmer also gets those hard-to-reach places.
JO MALONE LIME BASIL & MANDARIN EXFOLIATING SHOWER GEL £32 (200ML) An essential for cleaning and polishing your skin, your body will be feeling revived and fresh with a touch of white thyme and basil.
SACHAJUAN NORMALIZING SHAMPOO £20 (250ML) Fortify your tresses with the Scandinavian marine extracts dissolving dirt and build-up, leaving your locks soft and glossy.
CITY LIVING
1
with Kunal Trehan We hear from A-Magazine’s Interiors Expert about his top products to take your space to the next level
Kunal Trehan is the founder and managing director of Touched Interiors. The award-winning interior designer is passionate about creating luxurious spaces for his high profile clientele and customers across the globe.
WHAT SERVICES DO TOUCHED INTERIORS OFFER? Touched Interiors is a respected luxury furniture and interior design brand online and in-store, where 90% of our stunning collections are customisable to your desired size, finish, fabric or leather. On some collections, we can even alter the design, meaning that our designer furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories are truly bespoke and will compliment any space.
DESCRIBE THE TOUCHED INTERIORS EXPERIENCE. Award-winning Touched Interiors design excellence not just for our interior design clients but for anyone who is passionate about interiors. Our dedicated team is made up of expert textile and interior designers so that our clients can relax, knowing that our experience will canvas all those things that they may not have thought of.
WHAT INSPIRES TOUCHED INTERIORS’ DESIGNS? Luxury, grandeur, glamour and elegance are at the heart of Touched Interiors. We focus on tactile designs created using precious materials. Much more than just furniture, we offer pieces of sculptural art crafted by master artisans that are alive with personality and presence, just waiting to be touched.
40 A-MAGAZINE
The Wish List
1 GOLD ANTELOPE HORN H: 820mm W: 130mm D: 150mm, £79. A sculpture that has been designed to command attention with its rich gold accents and metallic hues. Bring luxury and substance to your chosen space with this oversized horn standing proud at 82cm. Perfect for the mantel piece or a console table.
2 SABLE FUR THROW W:140 cm x L:200, £500.
This year has been all about attainable luxury, metallics and the comeback of gold. However, these precious and opulent materials must be used with caution in order to avoid the pitfall of overuse and the risk of the design becoming overbearing. Here are my top products that can be added to new or existing interiors in order to achieve design perfection without necessarily breaking the bank.
2
A sumptuous, deep pile faux fur throw coloured in a luxurious, warm chocolate tone. The glistening fibres will adapt to the surrounding hues in any environment. The contrast lining is one of my favourite touches which allows and encourages the use of varying tones in the room to achieve a professionally designed look.
3 LESS IS MORE TABLE LAMP Custom sizes and finishes available including nickel, copper, black nickel, £590.
3
Embellish your interior with this luxurious polished brass table lamp designed to turn heads. I love the simple yet effective design achieved by two contrasting brass tubes, one being hammered and the other polished. Perfect for an entrance hall or living area. I also love using this design in bedrooms for some added romance.
4
4 NATURAL STONE RUG W:120 x L:170, £149; W:160 x L:230, £220; W:200 x L:290, £290. Bring some glamour inspired by nature to your interior space with this neutral rug. Its soft, silky highlights are made from a mixture of synthetic yarns making it a practical choice, albeit an elegant one. Don’t be fooled with the flat weave as this piece will bring the texture that every space needs.
5 RIBBON FRINGE POUF D:60cm x H:42cm from £950 - £1,250. Fabric/Leather. Bespoke sizes, upholstery and finishes available.
5
Created and finished using the finest materials with elegance at its core. The layered use of suede not only brings luxe glamour but creates the added sense of warmth that most interiors need. This design can be adapted to any size and palette using custom fabrics and leathers which makes it my design must-have.
6
• Shop these items at touchedinteriors.co.uk or visit the showroom at 26 Blackfriars Street, Manchester, M3 5JS
6 TEXTURED WALLCOVERING L:10m x W:106cm roll. Available in a stylish colour palette of black, copper, graphite and gold together with neutrals, soft blues and green, £125. There are so many reasons why I love this wallcovering. You can create a breath-taking snug atmosphere with iridescent mottles, curvaceous lines and brushed metal effects from a washable range making it suitable for so many applications. It’s also great value for money; the price tag may initially appear high but you are getting double the width at 106cm when compared to a standard 53cm wide roll; this also means less joins for a seamless finish.
A-MAGAZINE 41
INDIA (LEFT): Amanda Wakeley Maxi Dress £1,195 Valentino Belt Bag £895 JO (RIGHT): Isabel Marant Off-White Ruffle Dress £765
FEATURING India Gort-Lester from Boss Models & Jo Farrell LOCATION The Beetham Tower PHOTOGRAPHER Jay Mawson jaymawson.co.uk STYLIST Steven Spencer, stevenspencerstyling.com wrappagency.com MAKEUP ARTIST & HAIR STYLIST Lois Pickup, Industry Model Management WRITER Bethany Lee Clothing from Harvey Nichols
42 A-MAGAZINE
WHAT’S LIFE LIKE LIVING IN THE BEETHAM TOWER?
Jo: This is an oasis for us in the city. It’s busy down there and you can look down across the city and we can join in with it. Living in the tower itself, there is a community here; it’s almost like a vertical village if you like. It’s diverse as it can be on the streets. I love the panoramic view of Manchester city centre, stretching to the hills beyond, and the everchanging skies and weather. We get amazing sunrises and sunsets! It’s inspirational and the detail in the cityscape is often surprising. We are very passionate about this building and enjoy living in it. I’m the Secretary of the Residents’ Association, and as soon as you come into the front door downstairs, that’s my hallway; that’s how I look at it.
Women of the
Beetham Tower
47 floors above the city streets, we met with mother and daughter Jo Farrell and India Gort-Lester in their Beetham Tower home. The pair are raising their young children, Max and Ezra, in the city centre, so we talked to them about family life here and the changing face of Manchester.
India: Before the baby, I thought it was great, I could go out and be back in three minutes [laughs], but since the baby, I haven’t necessarily been based here. I moved in here when I was 13 and I think it’s just a great place to live because when I stand here I can say, ‘what am I going to do today? Oh, I’m going to do that over there’ [laughs]. It’s just a nice feel in the building you meet people and you say hi.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MANCHESTER?
India: I’ve lived in Australia, I’ve spent a lot of time in America, but I’ve never felt anywhere as nice or as friendly as here. If I’m out with Ezra, people here will just pick up the base of the pram and help you walk down the stairs - you wouldn’t even have to ask. Jo: I love the fact that you can walk across the city. One of the things about having a small child or a baby in the city is that if you’ve got a good pram, you can get your baby around the whole city and it’s very accessible from that point of view. I love the fact that Manchester is an aspiring city; it’s a hub with an international connection and perspective. There’s also a strong sense of practicality about it that means people get things done in Manchester.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE?
Jo: My husband Ian is a Mancunian and he’s been very involved with the regeneration of the city and I’m an adopted Mancunian, so we’re committed to the city. When Max came along,
A-MAGAZINE 43
coffee, it’s important to get out otherwise you’ll all go a bit mad [laughs]. Jo: I think that it’s a very stimulating environment for families. From your doorstep, you can go straight to Manchester Art Gallery, The Whitworth, along with The Manchester Museum and MOSI, or take a tram ride to Salford Quays where The Lowry Theatre has imaginative shows for very young children. There’s a lot of going on virtually every weekend throughout the year. You can do your own small things and go to a café, explore the Northern Quarter, and pop up to Mackie Mayor as well.
we didn’t decide to go out to Hale, Altrincham, Marple, or anywhere else outside the city. This is our home, this is where our child will grow up, as India grew up here from her teens onwards as well. India: There’s something special about being able to walk down the street at night time and see different things happening and feel like you’re a part of something. I think it can be really lonely when I’m by myself in cities, but I think in a city like Manchester you realise you’re not actually by yourself. In a city like this, they want to include you in things and you feel like you’ve got some sort of acceptance.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS CHANGED ABOUT LIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE OVER THE YEARS?
Jo: There’s a lot of building going on post-recession; we’ve got more people coming in to the city to make it their home. If you look out of the window, you can see many cranes that show us something’s happening right the way across the city. Manchester’s positioning itself at an international level; in many ways, it’s a place that rivals London. It is a creative and attractive place to live and work.
WHAT ASPECTS OF MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE DO YOU THINK ARE GOOD FOR FAMILIES?
India: Sometimes when you’ve got kids, you feel like you can’t get out and that’s a very isolating feeling, whereas in Manchester, rather than being trapped at home, it’s small enough to walk around, but big enough to feel like there’s lots to do - even if it’s just going for a walk to get a
44 A-MAGAZINE
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANGED TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR FAMILIES LIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE? Jo: I think that this is a great place to live, we’re very fortunate, we have a lot of fantastic things on our doorstep,
INDIA: Amanda Wakeley Coat £1,495, Amanda Wakeley Wide Pants £595, Alexander McQueen Purse £1,295 JO: Balmain Sequinned Blazer £2,550, Balmain High Waisted Trousers £1,325
A-MAGAZINE 45
INDIA: Isabel Marant Dress £1,225 JO: Isabel Marant Brocade Top £610 Isabel Marant Fitted Trousers £540
however, having a young child in Manchester I look at things differently now. I’d like the environment – and that’s in its widest sense – to be as safe as possible for our families on the streets of Manchester. I mean for us to be really serious about pollution, for us to do something about the condition of the streets and for us to think again about security and safety as well. India: You don’t want your child to be exposed to all that pollution. We should consider diesel vehicles in the city, which I think London is currently doing, and I think it’s a serious step forward in cutting down the level of pollution. Also, the amount of times that I’ve been walking out in Manchester and people have ignored the road signs when they’re driving, often because of the one-way systems here; I’ve been nearly run over a couple of times. Jo: We need to embrace more cyclists in our city and the city has taken good steps to do this, however, if I’m walking down the street with a pram, cyclists often come by down the pavement or take the opportunity to cut through green lights on the pedestrian crossing. Not just to families, but for everyone in the city, I think it would be really beneficial to have a safer, more measured way of moving around, something that cities like Copenhagen have achieved.
I think you become more of a citizen when you have children; it embeds you in the community. This is our community. This is our village 46 A-MAGAZINE
Jo: 20 years ago, there were 400 people living in the city centre, now there are 20,000. It would be great to have a city that’s diverse in its age and in every possible way, and for us to take some really positive steps to keep that changing demographic. I’m sure there’s a lot of good work going on, however in the next five years or so, there will be another 20,000 people living in the city. Developers need to have an eye to the people who are actually going to live in those apartments, the families that might start there, how might they keep them there, how might the city keep its people in the city?
HAS HAVING YOUR CHILDREN EZRA AND MAX CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE IN MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE?
Jo: One of the big things that was very important for me when I had Max was to be able to go to the Town Hall, to the Sure Start Children’s Centre there, and meet lots of other mums with their children, but that’s now being relocated to Hulme with the restoration of the Town Hall. I would be glad to see a purpose-built centre within the new Town Hall where those of us who live in the centre can take our children to get support and companionship. There is also no park that’s just for children in the city centre. A park and some green walkways that link up the spaces in the city
INDIA: Amanda Wakeley Maxi Dress £1,195 Valentino Belt Bag £895 Balenciaga Houndstooth Shoes £835 JO: Isabel Marant Ruffle Dress £765
would be great; we could even have a High Line next to Deansgate station. India: I used to walk down the street and not have a second thought about anything and now I’m a parent you have to think about other people’s actions because you’ve got something that’s more important than yourself to look after. You care about the streets rather than just thinking ‘that’s not my problem’ - it becomes your problem. You care about making sure that there are things for children, so your child can have that education before school and to give you a break [laughs]. Jo: I think you become more of a citizen when you have children; it embeds you in the community. This is our community. This is our village. We live in this every single day and you do care about what’s around you and it is important.
A-MAGAZINE 47
’ S T N E PAR E D n I U m G o Autu
t
ids t With K u o b A es d little on Out An r u m o y o r f h artin o wit Steph M k of things to d uys for parents er pic best b shares h tumn and her at oaawk.uk ut more hKidsMCR this au it • Find o • Follow
@Outw
OUR KIDS SOCIAL PRESENTS HAPPY SUNDAZE AT MANCHESTER MONASTERY
ourkids.social Fancy a festival with a twist? Our Kids Social are taking over Manchester Monastery on September 16th for an afternoon of music and creativity in this stunning venue. Grab your headphones for an old-school silent disco, or take a dancing break and settle in for some weird and wonderful stories with Professor Jigget. There’s something for the very little ones too as Burble Baby have sponsored a calming sensory area just for them.
DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS DREAM BIG
MANCHESTER SCIENCE FESTIVAL
manchestersciencefestival.com Make learning fun this October with this 11-day laboratory-cumplayground extravaganza. With activities from family-friendly immersive experiments to engineering-themed comedy routines, there’s something science-based for everyone at England’s largest science festival. For the past eleven years, this
festival has been bringing both past research and new ideas from Manchester to life, and this year’s event is set to be bigger than ever.
RAVER TOTS
ravertots.co.uk You might not think that raving and kids make a great match, but Raver Tots will change your mind with their family-friendly events this autumn. Enjoy a mid-afternoon dance party; complete with face painting, soft play areas and an awesome confetti cannon! The nineties themed music may bring back memories of a child-free time, but this is one party that’s less about getting the drinks in and more about enjoying bubbles, giant parachutes and lots of fun.
48 A-MAGAZINE
disneyonice.com Get ready to sing along with an entire arena as Disney on Ice brings your family’s favourite stories to life. Does your little one dream of joining Moana on her adventure-filled quest to restore Te Fiti’s stolen heart, or can they just not let Frozen go? Whichever character has captured their heart, join the magic this October.
DIGITAL KIDS SHOW MANCHESTER
digitalkidsshow.co.uk Become the world’s coolest parent this November with a visit to The Digital Kids Show. Take the family on at a game of Fortnite before slipping on your skates for glide around their indoor ice rink. Make sure you save some energy for the meet and greet with your children’s favourite YouTube stars including visits from gaming gurus Morgz and Marzbar.
MANCUB FAMILY YOGA - THE WITCHES
facebook.com/yogi.life.manchester Take a break from traditional trick-or-treating this Halloween with this unique way to explore Roald Dahl’s classic children’s tale, The Witches. Using creative movement, storytelling and song, this session offers your children the opportunity to explore their imaginations in a non-competitive environment. With workshops open to everyone, from children to grandparents, this is a great chance to bring together the whole family for fitness with a difference.
mancub.com There’s nothing quite like that father-son bond and what better way to celebrate it than with some stylish twinning outfits? New Manchester brand Mancub designs all of its outfits in pairs so all the men of the house are covered.
LAND ROVER PET PACKS landrover.co.uk
A trip to the park with the kids and your fur babies just got a whole lot easier thanks to Land Rover. The car brand has launched a life-saving set of pamper packs to help man’s best friend travel in luxury. From a portable rinse system to a foldable pet carrier, you’d be barking mad not to get on board with this one.
A-MAGAZINE 49
51
52
55
TATE DIGITAL
ENGAGE HUB
SACHA LORD
Forget the stereotypes, recruitment is getting turned on its head with Tate Digital
Meet the company that’s changing the way businesses do social media engagement
GM’s first Night Time Economy Advisor talks MCR after dark
50 A-MAGAZINE
JOEL FLETCHER
TATE DIGITAL: THE NEW WAY TO RECRUIT
Discover the new recruitment platform that’s making Manchester a destination for digital
M
anchester’s got a reputation for being home to people that graft. It’s no wonder then that we’re seeing more and more start-ups launching here across the digital, marketing, social media, PR and design industries. The city is a hub for great talent and great businesses, but the traditional recruitment process often makes it difficult to bring them together. One man on a mission to solve this problem is Joel Fletcher with new recruitment platform, Tate Digital. After spending the last ten years working in recruitment, Joel knows the industry inside out and is now turning it on its head. He’s passionate about matching the right person with the right role; Joel says that “the three biggest things in life are getting married, buying a house, and changing jobs. I’ve always been really passionate about putting two people together and making companies grow.” Whilst striving to help people on their career journeys, Joel became frustrated with the limitations of traditional recruitment. He’d met upcoming businesses who needed new talent but didn’t have the time or fees for the usual recruitment process. This inspired him to
strip back the costs and provide a unique way for businesses to make new hires. Traditionally, recruiters are protective of their candidate database, whereas Tate Digital are opening up their database to clients, cutting out the middle man and giving the control back to the businesses that are looking to hire - much like a recruitment version of Purple Bricks. Joel and his team have built almost ‘Tinder-like’ software where businesses are able to access candidates through an online portal and then contact them directly themselves. Currently, recruitment companies are charging upwards of £5,000 to place one candidate, but Tate Digital allows businesses to make up to 3 hires for £1,500 with 3 months access to the portal. With a talent pool built up over years in Manchester through parent company Tate Recruitment, Tate Digital gives businesses access to high-calibre candidates without the high costs. Much more than basic CVs, Joel and his team have worked hard to create a platform that gives a complete picture of each candidate. Unlike generic CV libraries, the Tate Digital team help their
candidates craft their profiles and allow them to upload links to their websites and LinkedIn profiles, along with portfolios and headshots. For Joel, the impact of Tate Digital goes far beyond the world of recruitment. He’s committed to using this new platform to promote Manchester as a destination for digital. He says that Tate Digital is “not just about getting Manchester candidates for Manchester businesses, we’re working wider to get people attracted to Manchester.” The Tate Digital team are partnering with businesses across Manchester and city’s universities to help grow Manchester’s start-ups and support new talent coming through. Joel and his team are smashing the stereotypes of recruitment to offer a platform that’s set to enrich the Manchester community and its people. Our city is already on its way to gaining international recognition and Tate Digital is here to give Manchester the extra boost it deserves.
• Find out more at tate.co.uk/digitalpeople
A-MAGAZINE 51
ENGAGE HUB: SOCIAL MEDIA TAKEN SERIOUSLY
Meet the company that’s changing the way businesses do social media engagement
T
oday, social media is more important than ever as a tool for businesses to grow their brands, push their services and products. One man that’s proud to deliver brands’ social media marketing needs is Ray Sherlock, founder of social media powerhouse Engage Hub. Being an independent agency allows Engage Hub to be agile when providing their two key services, social media engagement and influencer marketing, to their big-name clients. After working for fashion and beauty brands for six years, Ray’s personal social media experience inspired him to start his own agency. He was reaching out for recommendations on social media but wasn’t hearing back from any brands or other social media users. Recognising this gap in the market, Ray decided to set up Engage Hub to provide the engagement between brands and customers on social media platforms that no one else was. Available round the clock, Engage Hub are the only agency providing engagement at this level. This innovative approach is what’s allowed the company to grow at such a rapid rate in just two years. They’re proud to be gaining recognition for their vast portfolio of international clients across a wide range of industries, including Bud Light, Blanx, Remington UK and Australis. Ray knows that it’s Engage Hub’s agility that’s earned them so many big-name clients, delivering a personal touch and a level of service that bigger agencies aren’t able to. Engage Hub prove that social media is an essential tool for growth that’s worth investing in. When companies choose to give social media a go themselves, they’re often unsure
52 A-MAGAZINE
about who they’re reaching and what the outcome is. Ray and his dedicated team of specialists take social media seriously. For them, nothing is more important than getting return on investment for their clients. Ray says, “We don’t build campaigns just to post out content for the sake of it; we build social media campaigns that deliver ROI for every £1 spent.” He and his team work closely with their clients, creating bespoke social media campaigns that will deliver concrete, measurable results. Whether you want to see more bums on seats at your venue, more visits to your website, more followers, or more product sales online, Engage Hub will make it happen. Ray explains that Engage Hub’s “campaigns are monitored daily and each post is scrutinised to ensure that content is reaching the correct target audiences in the correct locations at the correct times.” This precision and attention to detail is where Engage Hub really come into their own. As social media experts, the Engage Hub team believe it all starts with conversation. The team seek out conversations on social media and engage with hundreds of people each day for their clients, turning social media users into customers and securing the results their clients are looking for. It’s this commitment to their clients that sees the company produce such exceptional results; recently, they turned a Betfred project around in only two days with 150% better outcome than their client was aiming for. Along with their social media engagement services, Engage Hub also specialise in influencer marketing. This type of service is commonly outsourced by other companies but Engage Hub work closely with hundreds of influencers
THE TEAM AT ENGAGE HUB
RAY SHERLOCK
WE BUILD SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS THAT DELIVER ROI FOR EVERY £1 SPENT across the country, allowing their clients to choose the perfect influencer for their campaign from Engage Hub’s trusted portfolio. Connecting the right influencer to the right project allows Ray to ensure his campaigns reach the millions and fast. With offices in British powerhouses Manchester and London, it’s no surprise that Engage Hub have been nominated for ‘Impressive Growth Agency’ along with ‘Best Social Media Agency’ in the UK Agency Awards. Having already expanded from three members of staff in 2016 to fifteen today, Engage Hub are soon set to make a name for themselves on the international scene.
• Find out more about Engage Hub at engagehub.co.uk
A-MAGAZINE 53
SACHA LORD: THE KING OF NIGHTLIFE
GM’s first Night Time Economy Advisor talks MCR after dark
I
f anyone knows a thing or two about nightlife - it’s Sacha Lord. As the brains behind The Warehouse Project and Parklife takes on his new role as Greater Manchester’s first Night Time Economy Advisor, we talk to him about the changing face of nightlife across Manchester. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE OFFERED THE ROLE AS GREATER MANCHESTER’S FIRST NIGHT TIME ECONOMY ADVISOR? Sasha: It was amazing. It’s a real honour to be working with Andy [Burnham]. There are some really great people with a wealth of experience to help me, support me, and debate things because – believe it or not – I’m not always right [laughs]. I’m going around all ten boroughs meeting operators, meeting the leaders, meeting councilors because it’s not just city centre Manchester. WHAT DOES YOUR NEW TITLE MEAN AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR MANCHESTER? When you think about night-time economy, it’s when you go out with your friends for a meal, to the cinema, to a concert, or to a nightclub. We treat these things as our downtime because of that we see night-time as
a bit of fun and not that important, but actually, it’s the fifth biggest industry in the whole of the UK, and it employs around 10% of the UK workforce. Looking at those stats, it’s very important and Andy Burnham recognised that during the elections and he puts his full commitment behind supporting the night-time economy. If you go anywhere in the world and say to someone, ‘What do you think about when I say the word Manchester?’, everyone’s going to say ‘Football, music’; they’re the two things that we’re known for globally. Night-time economy is everything that happens between 6pm and 6am, so it covers the workers of the NHS, and people that work in hotels on late shifts; it covers everybody between those hours. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE FROM MANCHESTER? How lucky am I? I could have been born anywhere, but I was lucky to be born in Manchester. I’ve always supported Manchester because it’s given me some amazing opportunities; there aren’t many cities that would let me run a rave in a car park. I think the fact I’m from Manchester and it’s given me the chance to survive, and the chance to
do well, is a big honour. I’m very proud to wave the flag. WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO LOOK BEYOND THE CITY CENTRE WHEN IMPROVING OUR NIGHTLIFE? There are good things happening in Greater Manchester. I was brought up in Altrincham, lived there all my life, and I remember when the Trafford Centre opened and Altrincham was killed overnight. For many years, you couldn’t go out in Altrincham in the evenings, then Altrincham Market appeared a couple of years ago. It’s amazing! There are so many cool, independent bars, and really good quality restaurants that are appearing all around. Of course, Bury as well they’ve been awarded the Purple Flag. They’re the only borough that have that in Greater Manchester, and that advertises the fact that in Bury there’s an offering for everybody, and it’s a really safe environment to go out in. IS YOUR ROLE INTENDED TO PUT RESTRICTIONS UPON PEOPLE’S NIGHTS OUT? No, not in the slightest. It’s actually to completely support. There are some great things happening at the moment, like The White Hotel in
A-MAGAZINE 55
Salford, which is an amazing venue. I’m here to support the small venues, right up to the big venues. I think the one I was annoyed about, rather than sad, was Sound Control because that did close because of developers. I’m very interested in talking to developers and operators. It needs to be common sense - if you’re going to build a block of new apartments next door to a nightclub, then I think it’s completely down to the developer to ensure that there aren’t going to be any complaints about the nightclub, and to make people buying the apartments very aware that there’s a nightclub there. ARE THERE ANY OTHER CITIES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO TAKE INSPIRATION FROM FOR THE DIRECTION THAT MANCHESTER’S NIGHTLIFE IS HEADING? “None at all. Manchester has always been stand-alone. We’ve always done our own thing. You know Manchester; it’s a different breed. We’re the best city in the country, so I’m not looking at anyone else. Greater Manchester is going to lead. I do take inspiration from perhaps New York, Berlin, but we’ve always done our own thing, and we’ll make our own decisions and go our own way.” WHAT ASPECTS OF MANCHESTER’S NIGHTLIFE DO YOU THINK ARE WORKING WELL AT THE MOMENT? I’m delighted at Peter Street, because I remember when I was a kid, going out, I used to go to a place called Discotheque Warehouse and Peter Street was a hive of activity. Now you’ve got Albert’s Schloss, Impossible, Revolution De Cuba, BrewDog, the Radisson Hotel. It’s great to see all this happening again. The place I’m really excited about is
Ancoats. When I owned Sankeys, you wouldn’t walk down Jersey Street to get to Sankeys. There was never lighting, there were syringes on the floor, everywhere was derelict, and then there was this weird, wacky club in the middle. Now when I drive round, it looks amazing. All these new buildings, all these new apartment blocks, Cutting Room Square with Elnecot and Rudy’s. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGE FOR PEOPLE WORKING IN THE NIGHTLIFE INDUSTRY? I held a consultation recently where I invited employees from our town economy to come and have a chat with me. We’ve started to talk about vulnerability leaving work during antisocial hours and we discussed mental health as well; it’s the culture of when you close a venue there’s a drink after work, which might be at four in the morning and then before you know it it’s seven in the morning. I’d also like to create something like a charter or a standard that responsible operators will sign up to, that the customer will know when they walk in – whether it be a sticker on the door, or an emblem on the menu – exactly where the tip is going, so there’s transparency. If the operator signs up to this, they’d adhere to the fact that they’d take partial responsibility to make sure the staff don’t feel vulnerable when they’re leaving. WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SEE INTRODUCED TO MAKE NIGHTS OUT SAFER? I’m speaking to Drink Aware at the moment and The Village Angels. I did a walk with the police a couple of Saturdays ago, 10pm until 2am in the morning. They do something similar to what we do at The Warehouse Project
YOU KNOW MANCHESTER; IT’S A DIFFERENT BREED. WE’RE THE BEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, SO I’M NOT LOOKING AT ANYONE ELSE. GREATER MANCHESTER IS GOING TO LEAD 56 A-MAGAZINE
SACHA WITH MAYOR ANDY BURNHAM
with The Loop. It’s like a safety haven, so if you’ve had too much to drink, you can just go and chill out in there for half an hour. It’s great because it saves the time of our emergency services and the NHS. I’d like to see them dotted around eventually, so maybe Peter Street, Printworks, Deansgate Locks, Northern Quarter, The Village, Oxford Road Corridor. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY LESSONS THAT 25 YEARS OF THE NIGHTLIFE INDUSTRY HAVE TAUGHT YOU? I failed all my A-Levels at school, so I think what it has taught me is that it doesn’t really matter, as long as you follow your passion and your dream, you can do things. I now have the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival. I’m a kid who flunked out the back door. I wasn’t kicked out, but I was an embarrassment to the school at the time, now they invite me back to give talks there. I also try to be nice to everyone. I think that’s important. I know everybody by name at Warehouse Project and I’ll spend time with everybody, whether it’s bar staff, or the cleaners, or the main act. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES OUR NIGHTLIFE HERE DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? That’s very simple to answer: it’s the people. The atmosphere is electric because everybody’s out to have a good time. Mancs just go for it. I think certainly over the last eighteen months, we’ve really seen the Manchester attitude come to the forefront. We pull together in times of crisis, and we certainly know how to party.
IF YOU DON’T LOOK GOOD | WE DON’T LOOK GOOD SASSOON-SALON.COM
Manchester’s
under 30
NETWORKING EVENT sponsored by
Find out what happened at our exclusive networking event
A
-Magazine are committed to celebrating the best of Manchester so what better way to do this than with our very own networking events. We decided to kick off this new venture by recognising some of the most inspiring young people in the city - our 30 under 30s. A-Mag’s summer issue put a spotlight on these great Mancunians and the equally great work they’re doing, so this August we brought them together along with some of Manchester’s most influential business people for an evening of celebration and connection. Nothing makes us here at A-Mag happier than connecting top-notch Manchester people and businesses, so we were thrilled to welcome teams from a range of industries across the city to Spinningfield’s All Work & Social, as well as our headline sponsor Engage Hub, an agency dedicated to social media and influencer marketing. Of course, this was networking done the A-Mag way, so our guests were treated to the signature A touch. Our guests met and mingled whilst sipping on ‘Giovanni Belinnis’ courtesy of muchloved Italian restaurant, Don Giovanni, and G‘n’Ts from Didsbury Gin, as well as tucking into delicious canapés from the team at Beastro owned by one of our very own 30 under 30s, Richard Brown. During the night, we loved hearing what projects our 30 under
58 A-MAGAZINE
30s are working on since being featured in A-Magazine and to find out about the positive impact this has had for them and their businesses. Jolie Studio’s Franky Rousell said that since featuring in our summer issue she “has seen a huge increase in awareness about Jolie Studio, and [she’s] had lots of interest about [her] personal journey.’ She and her business partner Chloé Cotard told us that they were even stopped in Selfridges and asked to sign a copy of A-Magazine. Because our network, the A-Family, is made up of people who are passionate about what they do and passionate about our city, we felt it was a perfect match to partner with WorkFit, the employment programme run by the Down’s Syndrome Association, as our chosen charity for the evening. WorkFit’s Employment Development Officer for the North West, Fran Austin shared with our guests the incredible work that the charity
BECCY GIBSON, SAMUEL FITZ-HUGH & CRAIG BARCLAY DAISY VALENTINE, LAUREN RIDGEWAY & ASH HOWSON
GUESTS DRANK GIOVANNI BELLINIS
FRANCES AUSTIN
ANTHONY LOGAN
JOE AVERILL
BECCY GIBSON DELICIOUS CANAPÉS FROM THE TEAM AT BEASTRO
REMI AKANDE
does by finding the right employment opportunities for people with Down’s syndrome, through their tailored service, of which a key element is in-depth (free) training for employers about the learning profile of people with Down’s syndrome and how to support them in the workplace. We’re proud to have helped connect so many great Manchester businesspeople and to welcome them to the A-Family. We can’t wait to do it all again at our next networking event - watch this space!
FRANKY ROUSELL & CHLOÉ COTARD
If you’d like to get involved with A-Magazine’s future networking events, please email bethany@amagazine.co.uk @amagazineuk
#amagazinemcr
#mcr30under30 A-MAGAZINE 59
The New WORKING WORLD
A-Magazine hear from some of Manchester’s top businesswomen at AllBright’s FoundHER Festival about the shifting landscape of the working world
T
he working world is changing: how we measure value and success isn’t as clear cut as it once was. Global thinking, huge workforces, maximum profit, and long-established legacies are no longer the unquestionable goal for businesses; nor is a long string of zeros at the end of our salaries. Some of Manchester’s most influential female leaders shared their thoughts about our new expectations of businesses, as employees and consumers, at AllBright’s FoundHER Festival.
PHOTO: Styledstock.co WORDS: Bethany Lee
WHAT DO WE WANT FROM OUR WORK?
60 A-MAGAZINE
Today, we’re revaluating what we want from our careers. Our definitions of success and value, both personally and in business, are about a whole lot more than just financial profit. Feeling like what we do is valuable and that we’re successful is based on a sense of purpose in our work - much more so than in the past. Before beginning a new role or buying from a new company, we want to take a close look at that company’s beliefs and values and consider how closely they align with our own. Much of this drive for a purpose-filled working life has come from young people as they enter the working world, but, as FireTech founder Jill Hodges notes, we’re seeing
more middle-aged people dumping their ‘traditional’ careers in favour of roles with companies whose values resonate with them, which is often in the shape of small businesses. Hodges suggests that this comes from a desire to leave a legacy, to have our work really mean something, both to us personally and to society.
GOING LOCAL
The ‘bigger is better’ attitude towards businesses is losing its appeal. A large team with countless global sites and worldwide initiatives isn’t automatically deemed successful simply down to profit, size and scale. The global thinking that was
JILL HODGES
once encouraged is being replaced with a more local mindset. Instead of seeing ourselves as part of cogs in a much larger machine that’s ultimately disconnected from us personally, we’re reimagining our careers with a sense of individual purpose that stems from company values, objectives, and mission statements. We’re now measuring value and success in a far more personal way: asking ‘how does my work benefit me and my community’?
ACCOUNTABILITY
Libby Annat, Controller of Ethical Trade and Sustainability at Primark , suggests that part of this new focus on companies values and purposes is down to accountability. So much of a business’s identity is experienced online where it exists indefinitely and is open to the scrutiny of employees, customers, competitors and anyone else who might decide to take an interest. It’s therefore incredibly high risk for a company today to state its purpose and not stick to it. As employees and consumers, we’re now demanding to see businesses stand by their values and mission statements. Annat believes that campaigns and petitions created by the public, both online and through social media, are having a huge impact on how businesses operate. The Internet is a vital tool that we’re using to ensure that businesses translate their values into real action.
CONSISTENT SOCIAL IMPACT
What Annat calls the “80s/90s idea of philanthropy”, where companies support a one-off overseas project to offset a lack of purpose, just won’t cut it today. We want companies to make a consistent commitment to creating positive change
in our communities, rather than the illusion of ‘giving back’. This is when company values have to be brought down to concrete actions; it’s becoming increasingly common for companies to put aside time each quarter, or set a certain amount of annual days, for their employees to take part in local projects like volunteering or
LIBBY ANNAT
VICTORIA PRICE
youth mentoring. It’s most effective when these projects are chosen by the teams themselves to offer real benefit to causes close to them. Tax Partner at EY, Victoria Price, believes that it’s the responsibility for leaders to get involved in these types of projects to set an example for their teams; amongst other projects, this year, she and her team completed a charity fun run, an idea proposed by a newlyhired graduate. As Annat suggests, for these beliefs and values to be believable, they need to run right through the core of the company, from CEOs and Head Office down to the newest employee. In the new working world, purpose and profit are considered equals when measuring value and success. So, when making your next career move, expect to be examining a company’s social impact just as closely as the salary they’re offering.
A-MAGAZINE 61
Airsorted HASSLE-FREE HOSTING
Since launching in Manchester, Airsorted has quickly become the choice for many busy Mancunians. We hear from some hosts about their Airsorted experience and the company’s Manchester City Manager Tom Pickersgill answers your burning questions about Airsorted HOST STORIES Meet the Travelling Doctor: Katrina Stranks
Meet Katrina, a Melbourne-based host who came to Airsorted to manage her property when she decided to take a six-week trip around Europe. “I knew I was going away for an extended period of time and it seemed silly to me to have a house that is in such a perfect location go vacant,” Katrina explains. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist, I like things done properly. Airsorted appealed to me because I wasn’t going to be in Australia, so Airsorted was the perfect outsourcing of management. The first benefit would be it paying for my trip, but it would also help me enjoy my time more because I wouldn’t have to worry about things being properly done. Everything is taken seriously: safety, the screening of guests; the process is very clear and professional.” “Monica’s been my main point of contact and she’s been very helpful. She’s always been very quick to get back to me about questions or anything else. She’s gone above and beyond. She even said, ‘your house is your biggest asset, we know that and so we won’t ever take it lightly.’ It’s very reassuring for me.”
62 A-MAGAZINE
Meet the Executive Jetsetters Neil & Mehjabeen Bristol-based hosts, Neil Patrick and his wife Mehjabeen, let out their property using Airsorted earlier this year. Mehjabeen is a CFO while Neil runs his own ad agency which means their plans rarely coincide. Neil explains, “We’re based in Clifton Wood, a lot of people visit this part of town. We absolutely love the house but also go away quite a lot, so with the advent of Airbnb, we realised there was a great opportunity. The timing of it was perfect, and because Airsorted take care of it all for you, we could move forward
Meet Tom Pickersgill, Airsorted’s Manchester City Manager WHAT IS AIRSORTED? Airsorted makes home-sharing hassle free. Our mission is to build a global platform that makes it easy for everyone to share their home. We market our hosts’ homes for short-lets, then look after guests from start to finish with 24/7 support. Taking care of keys, cleaning and laundry between stays. Airsorted has become the leading hosting management platform in the world, with thousands of hosts’ properties listed across accommodation booking platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com and HomeAway. To date, Airsorted has organised and managed over £30 million in bookings. By being technology-driven and offering 24/7 guest support, Airsorted allows hosts to step back from the day-to-day tasks which accompany home-sharing and maximise the revenue on their property.
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE AT AIRSORTED?
with listing our property on Airbnb without worrying. We were onsite with a week; everything was really smooth. It’s a more reliable service than what we could provide, so it means we can switch off. We wouldn’t be on Airbnb without Airsorted.” “Every time we list it, it’s rented. We’ve had 100% occupancy. It gives us the opportunity to take more breaks, and also contributes to the cost of the house. We recently were able to go to Milan because of it. My wife was there for work and so I listed the property and within 24 hours there were 2 requests to book. This meant we could travel together, knowing it was all covered.”
My role at Airsorted is Manchester City Manager. This role involves a wide variety of responsibilities. Day-to-day, I oversee our operation in Manchester and ensure that processes are running smoothly. I am always meeting hosts around the city which is something that I really enjoy. It’s great to get to know our hosts and hear how Airsorted has allowed them time to travel, relax or pursue new hobbies. Alongside ensuring an efficient operation and growing the Manchester team, it is important to drive Airsorted’s footprint in the city. This involves working with local contractors, engaging with nearby businesses and getting stuck in with the local communities.
WHY DID AIRSORTED DECIDE TO COME TO MANCHESTER? Manchester is a popular destination and I am proud to manage Airsorted’s operation in this unique city. Manchester offers a multitude of attractions, museums and restaurants; there really is no shortage of things to do or see. The positive Mancunian spirit and togetherness, combined with many diverse districts, makes Manchester an amazing city to visit. To be a truly global company, it is imperative that Airsorted arrived in Manchester.
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE AIRSORTED? You should choose Airsorted if you want to host, hassle free. We provide a 360-degree service, handling the management of host properties from creating listings with professional photography, to maintenance and restocking of household items, to 24/7 guest support, cleaning and provision of hotel quality linen. We really care about the guest experience - so much so that our linen supplier also supplies The Lowry Hotel! As a host with Airsorted, you can take advantage of our powerful in-house pricing algorithm. This algorithm takes into account local events, seasonality, local occupancy areas, reviews and more to maximise the price per night whilst maintaining a healthy occupancy. Alongside a dedicated Client Success Manager, our hosts can log into their Host Dashboard. This dashboard provides an overview of their earnings, allows them to manage their calendar availability and control their account. Airsorted also has a great team! We have over 140 employees worldwide, attracting talent from tech giants such as Uber, Deliveroo and Google.
HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO I NEED TO USE AIRSORTED? You can get started with Airsorted by letting your own home. Airsorted hosts range from regular travellers to property developers. If you are away from your home travelling for work or on holiday, you can monetise that empty space. We are very used to taking care of everything whilst an owner is travelling. Our hosts often mention how Airsorted helped to fund their trip! If you are thinking of using Airbnb, now is a great time to get started. There is always something happening in Manchester and you will quickly generate positive reviews to maximise income throughout the Christmas and New Year period.
VISIT airsorted.uk/manchester to discover how much your home could earn or give them a call on +44 161 768 0961 to speak with an expert.
A NE W WAY TO RENT in Manchester Is lifestyle renting set to take Manchester by storm?
T
he landscape of Manchester is changing. As young professionals and creatives flock to Manchester to take advantage of the growing media, creative, finance, legal and technological industries, they are being confronted by a property market with soaring house prices and rental costs. This has led to a new generation of purpose built rental accommodation to emerge. It is one that values the flexibility, convenience, and quality that twenty, thirty and forty-somethings consider an essential way of life. This could be the start of the creation of a renting lifestyle that mixes living centrally with key demands such as hotel-style facilities and services, high-tech
64 A-MAGAZINE
connectivity, co-working amenities and a sociable atmosphere. One of a few schemes opening in the coming months is Clippers Quay - the latest offering from Grainger plc - aims to give its residents just that. Based in Salford Quays, and with prices from £740 per month, it is likely to be one of the most reasonably priced developments in the area. What’s more, Grainger’s expertise as the UK’s largest provider of rental homes, with a firm commitment to great customer service, removes the hassle and worry for residents. What is more, is that despite the sensibly priced rents, Clippers Quay doesn’t scrimp on amenities. In fact, to go alongside
the state-of-the-art one, two, and threebedroom apartments, residents will have access to a host of onsite facilities, including a 24-hour gym, cinema room, residents’ lounges and private gardens. The lounges can even be booked privately for residents to host parties. There are also coworking spaces available for ‘work-fromhome’ days and meeting rooms for when a little privacy is needed for working. Anyone who has lived in a city apartment knows that the space isn’t cut out for big dinner parties, something that Grainger has considered at Clippers Quay and has factored in a bookable, dinnerparty friendly, private dining room that’s fully fitted with everything you’d need for
Apartment living space
Clippers Quay, Salford
Co-working and social hub
High speed broadband
a successful gathering. The best part? For a small fee, the on-site management team will even clean up after your party, you can truly walk away from your mess. The price of renting has been in the news a lot recently, with landlords being criticised for taking advantage of high demand by pushing rents up to a point that they are becoming unaffordable for those on an average salary. However, with the cost of a one-bedroom apartment starting at £740, Clippers Quay offers high-quality housing at prices that the majority of Mancunians can actually afford. We spoke to Nicola Renny, general manager at Clippers Quay, ahead of its opening in October and she is certain that
renting is the way forward for the next generation, saying “In my opinion, lifestyle renting is the answer that generation rent is looking for. There’s truly no reason to rent a dingy old flat from a landlord that takes two weeks to answer your emails and ignores your phone calls. Properties such as Clippers Quay are truly redefining the way that people rent, because they are being built with the renters in mind. The combination of convenience, flexibility, customer service and quality design is changing the way that people rent”. Clippers Quay, in particular, seems to provide a fantastic solution for renters. The Salford Quays location is close to the city centre which enables an excellent work-life balance for those working in any of the city’s key business hubs. Plus, if recent trends are anything to go by, renters are staying in properties longer, which makes Grainger’s ‘stay as long as you want’ tenancy plan an appealing option, with the option of signing a lease for up to three years. With properties such as this coming to the market, renting a home in Manchester could well become a lifestyle choice for Generations X, Y and Z.
• For more information, visit clippersquay.co.uk or phone 0161 929 3196
A-MAGAZINE 65
e i m a J y l a t I s k o co liver unch, Mr O la ’ ly a It s k as ie Coo alian nonn eries ‘Jam It s V le T ib d d n a re e inc cookbook at about th re h c to As his new r te s odie ventu che fo n t s a te M la to is s come inspired h that have
DO YOU FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP ITALIAN NONNA’S WAY OF COOKING ALIVE? [The book and TV series] was a two-year piece of work. There were so many trips to Italy, through summer, winter, from the mountains to the islands, that I’ve lost count. I think this is the last generation of proper, old school cooks, without fridges, without freezers, without a supermarket down the road, really agile cooks that learnt as babies - I’m talking six, seven years old. Most of the nonnas I cooked with were cooking for whole families over an open fire at seven, eight, nine when the family would be out working. The concept of vulnerability and poverty and hunger is completely different to what we would judge it as now, so the upside of what you get from that is actually what the planet craves now - a really frugal cook. All the nonnas were fairly consistent in saying these dishes don’t get cooked anymore, so they were just like ‘take it, go on’. WHAT INFLUENCE DID THE NONNAS HAVE ON YOUR COOKING TECHNIQUE? I almost learnt to un-cook. As a chef, you’re trained in a French, regimental way; you do knife skills, you do specific cuts, it’s all about accuracy, but nonnas don’t want accuracy. They’re using the wrong knife – in my opinion – to cut the wrong way to create irregular things, but of course then it cooks irregularly, so you get a depth of flavour that’s not like a chef. They have these quite brutal, crude ways to prep things, which is actually much more like what regular people do, but their food is incredible. If it nourishes you and it’s good, that’s the only thing that matters on the conversation about food. Also, most of the waste that happens in Britain happens in the home. It just wouldn’t happen [in the nonna’s cooking]. One of the biggest waste things in Britain is bread. You’ve never seen so many incredible recipes for bread soups, bread sauces, bread desserts. Dry bread reacts differently, it tastes differently, so you have salads with pangrattato which is like loads of little, fried breadcrumbs with herbs. Delicious! It reminded me of when I did my ‘American Road Trip’ because I could finally understand the concept of soul food; it’s not extravagant or a bit funky, no, no, no, life or death - that’s soul food!
WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THE NONNAS TAUGHT YOU? To be grateful. All food is a tapestry of conflict, poverty, celebration, religion. When you talk to the nonnas, you see what they went through, so there was no gas, no electricity, no penicillin, no antibiotics. They’d rattle out eight or nine kids; they’d lose a couple - standard. Throw in a couple of World Wars, and then being in quite a brutal part of the country at a high altitude, so, without being too dramatic, all of them were really grateful for every little thing they cooked with.
66 A-MAGAZINE
CLASSIC CARBONARA Crunchy porcini breadcrumbs p73
A-MAGAZINE 67
POT-ROAST CAULIFLOWER Sweet onions, anchovies, olives & white wine
PANISSA RICE Smoked pancetta, cured meats, borlotti beans, tomatoes & red wine
Panissa is risotto’s frumpy but very, very tasty cousin. The way the difference was explained to me by Rosa, who taught me, is that there’s simply more in panissa so it’s considered more of a whole meal than risotto is. You know it’s ready when it’s thick enough for your spoon to stand up in the middle – how cool is that. | SERVES 4 | TOTAL TIME 55 minutes 50g piece of higher-welfare regularly. In a separate pan, smoked pancetta simmer the stock and rosemary. 50g quality salami 2 onions 2 Stir the rice into the veg to 2 sticks of celery toast for 2 minutes, then pour 1 litre organic meat stock in the wine and let it cook 1 bunch of fresh away. Scrunch in the tomatoes rosemary (30g) through your clean hands, then 300g Arborio risotto rice start adding the stock, a ladleful 250ml Barbera d’Asti at a time, letting each one cook red wine away before adding more. 1 x 400g tin of quality plum Keep a close eye on it and stir tomatoes constantly for 20 minutes, or 1 x 400g tin of borlotti beans until the rice is cooked but 4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf still retains its shape. Drain the parsley beans and stir into the pan with the last ladleful of stock. When 1 Chop the pancetta and your spoon stands up, it’s done. salami into 1cm chunks, place Taste, and season to perfection in a cold casserole pan and with black pepper. Finely chop put it on a medium-high heat and stir in the parsley leaves, to let the fat render out. Stir then tuck on in. occasionally while you peel the onions and celery, then chop • CALS 545kcals • FAT 11.3g both into 1cm chunks. Stir the • SAT FAT 3.9g • PROTEIN 22.4g veg into the pan and cook for • CARBS 82.6g • SUGAR 9.4g 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring • SALT 1.4g • FIBRE 8.5g
68 A-MAGAZINE
This spectacular dish really heroes and focuses on the incredibleness of a big, fat, juicy cauliflower. It’s given the time, love and care you’d give to a prime cut of meat, which allows this dish to be a fantastic side dish, an amazing starter with toasted bread, or indeed a main course in its own right, served with bread, rice or pasta. | SERVES 4 to 8 | TOTAL TIME 2 hours 3 onions 2 Trim the base of the olive oil cauliflower, then use a sharp 6 anchovy fillets in oil, knife to carefully score a from sustainable sources deep cross into the stalk. 6 cloves of garlic Remove only any tatty outer 6 large green olives (stone leaves, leaving the rest intact. in) Sit the cauliflower in the 500ml Gavi di Gavi pan, stalk side down, and white wine drizzle with 1 tablespoon optional: 1 small of oil. Spoon some of the pinch of saffron onions and liquid over the 1 large head of cauliflower, then bring to the cauliflower, with leaves boil and carefully transfer the pan to the oven for 1 1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC. hour 30 minutes, or until the Peel and quarter the onions, cauliflower is tender (check then pick the quarters apart by inserting a sharp knife). into petals straight into a Baste it with the pan juices 20cm-wide, deep ovenproof twice during cooking. pan on a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil 3 Carefully lift the cauliflower and the anchovies and stir on to a platter and spoon occasionally while you peel over the soft onions, olives and slice the garlic. Squash and fragrant juices from the the olives, leaving the stones pan. Slice, and serve. in, then stir into the pan with the garlic. Cook and stir for • CALS 260kcals • FAT 9g 2 minutes, then pour in the • SAT FAT 1.4g • PROTEIN 8.6g wine and add the saffron, if • CARBS 17.2g • SUGAR 13g using. • SALT 0.8g • FIBRE 6g
CLASSIC CARBONARA Crunchy porcini breadcrumbs
While this is one of the most famous Roman pastas, actually ham, eggs, cheese and pasta is a combination that’s been celebrated for a long time throughout all of Italy. There’s much debate about the perfect carbonara, but sourcing guanciale, going heavy on the pepper and cracking it fresh, as well as controlling the temperature of your pan, are what’s key to this fantastic, comforting pasta. I love the classic recipe I’ve given you here, but with the bolt-on of crunchy porcini breadcrumbs it just eats so well, plus it’s a nice evolution and surprise. | SERVES 4 | TOTAL TIME 30 minutes 80g piece of higher welfare guanciale (cured pig’s cheek) or smoked pancetta 10g dried porcini mushrooms 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 80g stale rustic bread ½ tablespoon black peppercorns 300g dried spaghetti or bucatini 2 large free-range eggs 50g Parmesan cheese 1 Trim off and roughly chop the guanciale skin, then place just the skin in a blender with the
porcini. Strip in the rosemary leaves, tear in the bread and blitz into rough crumbs. Toast in a large dry frying pan on a medium heat until golden, tossing regularly. Tip into a bowl for later. In the same pan, briefly toast the peppercorns, then crack and pound in a pestle and mortar until fine. Pass through a sieve, discarding anything left behind. Remove the frying pan from the heat for a few minutes to cool slightly. 2 Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according
to the packet instructions. heat and – of utmost importance Meanwhile, chop the guanciale – wait 2 minutes for the pan to into 1⁄2cm chunks, sprinkle into cool before adding the eggs (if the frying pan with the pepper, it’s too hot, they’ll scramble; get it and place on a medium-low heat right and they’ll be smooth, silky until the fat has rendered out and and elegant). Moving the pasta, turned golden. In a bowl, beat toss in the eggs, loosening with the eggs, then finely grate in extra cooking water, if needed. most of the Parmesan and beat Plate up immediately, finely grate again. over the remaining Parmesan and serve with the golden 3 Using tongs, drag the pasta breadcrumbs, for sprinkling. straight into the guanciale pan, letting some starchy cooking • CALS 475kcals • FAT 15g water go with it to break the • SAT FAT 5.7g • PROTEIN 23g frying. Toss with all that gorgeous • CARBS 66.5g • SUGAR 3.3g flavour, then remove from the • SALT 1.4g • FIBRE 3g
CARROT CAPONATA Pine nuts, sweet raisins & onions, sour vinegar
This is a surprisingly delicious dish that really makes a hero of carrots, which are too often thought of as a bog-standard vegetable. Cooked like this they’re the star of the show and, probably, of the whole meal. Serve this hot or cold, as a side dish or antipasto, with cold meats, cheeses and bread, or with rocket as a nice salad.
Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2018 Jamie Cooks Italy) PHOTOGRAPHY: David Loftus
| SERVES 8 | TOTAL TIME 1 hour 20 minutes 2 red onions nuts, raisins and a pinch of sea 2 cloves of garlic salt. Cook for around 1 hour, 2 fresh red chillies or until the carrots are soft and olive oil beginning to caramelize (the 1kg mixed-colour baby time will vary depending on their heritage carrots size). Stir regularly and add little 50g pine nuts splashes of water as you go to 50g raisins prevent them from sticking, if 2 tablespoons runny honey needed. 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 Drizzle in the honey and vinegar and stir well. Cook for 1 Peel and roughly slice the another 5 minutes, or until glossy onions and garlic. Halve the and slightly sticky. Taste, season chillies lengthways and deseed. to perfection, and enjoy. Place it all in a large frying pan on a medium heat with • CALS 225kcals • FAT 14.5g 6 tablespoons of oil, stirring • SAT FAT 1.8g • PROTEIN 2.4g regularly. Wash, trim and add • CARBS 22.2g • SUGAR 20.7g the carrots, along with the pine • SALT 0.3g • FIBRE 4.1g
A-MAGAZINE 69
LET’S
EAT r e t s e h Manc Our pick of the best places to eat across Greater Manchester
▲ SUGO PASTA KITCHEN
sugopastakitchen.co.uk Masters of pasta, the team at Sugo Pasta Kitchen are serving up our favourite carb in homage to their Southern Italian heritage. Putting the fun back into Italian food, prepare to tuck into pastas that you’ve never tasted before like strozzapreti, cavatelli and orecchiette, and, best of all, there’s not a bolognese in sight. SUGO PASTA KITCHEN
ALTRINCHAM
▲ RUSTIC ▲ THE DROP
thedropbarcafe.net Head to The Drop for Caribbean grub done right. The colourful café serves Caribbean classics like coconut fish curry and, of course, jerk chicken. If you fancy ditching your usual Sunday dinner, go for The Drop’s ‘reggae roast’: lemon and thyme jerk chicken, sweet potato mash, plantain, rice ‘n’ peas, mac ‘n’ cheese, and spicy gravy.
70 A-MAGAZINE
THE DROP
rusticalty.com This chilled-out spot boasts some scrumptious American-inspired sliders that are perfect for sharing with your mates and washing down with one of Rustic’s craft beers. The ‘Red Rum Baby-Back Ribs’, marinated overnight in sweet and sticky rum, are a must-try! RUSTIC
WEST DIDSBURY
▲ GREENS
greensdidsbury.co.uk A whole lot more than your standard bean burger, Greens do veggie food at its best. The brains behind the restaurant, Simon Connolly and Sunday Brunch’s Simon Rimmer have re-invented veggie grub so that even Manchester’s diehard meat-eaters might just be tempted to covert to the green side; we’re talking red lentil loaf, jerk spiced grilled halloumi and even veggie black pudding.
▲ VOLTA
voltafoodanddrink.co.uk Mother restaurant of A-Mag favourite The Refuge, nobody does Sunday roast quite like Volta. The closest we’ve come to finding a hangover cure is a lazy day spent sipping on Bloody Marys, digging into a Sunday roast sharing platter complete with roast beef, pork and all the trimmings and watching the sun set from Volta’s terrace..
▼ PINCHJO’S
pinchjos.co.uk Say adios to boring buffets and treat yourself to some tapas instead. Perfect for those indecisive eaters, try a little bit of everything as you mix and match your favourite dishes, from classic seafood paella to Spanish black pudding. Go all out at Pinchojo’s on Wednesdays as all dishes are only £4.50.
A-MAGAZINE 71
MONTON MALTDOG
maltdog.com Take MaltDog’s own advice and have a real drink at this proper Northern Ale House. With three rotating guest beers available, alongside two premium Bavarian ales, drink is “what the MaltDog does best”. If it’s a special occasion or you’re a bit of a connoisseur, select fine wine can also be ordered in especially for you. Wash your drink down the right way with one of their locally sourced pies, then grab a bottle for later from their on site beer shop.
THE BLIND PIG
MALTDOG
6/CUT
▲
▲ THE BLIND PIG
theblindpigmonton.co.uk Two summer long drinks for just ten pounds, speciality gin, and Tuesday two-forone burgers? Sign us up! With a menu full of classic favourites and a chilled-out atmosphere, The Blind Pig is the perfect place to grab a bite with friends. Why not head down this weekend for live music and a glass of wine?
72 A-MAGAZINE
▲ 6/CUT
mudcrabindustries.co.uk/6-cut-monton Bringing together some of the best things in life - pizza and dogs, 6/Cut are saying move over to the margherita and shaking things up with their sourdough Moroccan spiced lamb and crispy duck and plum hoisin sauce pizzas. You’ll never have to choose between man’s best friend and man’s best carb again!
CANTO
cantorestaurant.com This sister restaurant of El Gato Negro offers relaxed Portuguese dining in one of Manchester’s most exciting districts. Get ready as chef Carlos Gomes brings a little corner of Portugal to Ancoats, including custard tarts, known as Pastel de Nata and Portugal tapas, Petiscos. Don’t forget to take a look at their daily pastry specials too!
WHAT’S
NEW ? r e t s e h c n a M TAST
tastcatala.com Say Hola to Catalan cuisine at Tast. Three different dining experiences, from private dining, main floor and the bar are set to immerse you in delicious Spanish sustenance where you can experience the bustle of a busy Barcelona! Their dining space features aspects from Catalonia’s countryside and culture where you can try one of their tastets, meaning ‘a small taste of food’.
NOI QUATTRO
noiquattro.co.uk Owned and run by four Italians, Noi Quattro simply means ‘the four of us’. Here you can try some of the best traditional pizzas in Manchester. From your classic Margherita to their signature Noi Quattro topped with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, roasted ham, rocket and Parmesan, you’ll be spoilt for choice! Beyond their Italian antipasti, O Cuoppo is a masterpiece of Italian street food that holds a mixture of Italian delicacies served in cone-shaped paper. It’s the ideal place to head for some easy Italian food with your friends.
A-MAGAZINE 73
BORRAGO GREEN FIZZ
PINKSTER GIN ‘N’ JAM
INGREDIENTS 25ml Borrago #47 Paloma Blend 25ml Lemon Juice 25ml Basil Syrup 2 fresh basil sprigs
INGREDIENTS 50ml Pinkster 10ml lemon Juice Large spoon of Gin Jam
A gloriously green cocktail that is a total alcohol-free treat. METHOD Shake well over ice. Double strain into a glass loaded with crushed ice and garnish with a large sprig of basil and a borage flower.
A blood red cocktail oozing with jammy raspberry goodness. METHOD Fill shaker with ice and add ingredients. Serve over crushed ice and garnish with second spoon of jam and raspberries.
Autumn
COCKTA IL S JAWBOX GIN AVIATION
This blue cocktail will be a showstopper at your next get-together. 50ml Jawbox Gin 20ml Lemon Juice 15ml Marchino Liqueur 7.5ml Creme de Violette
GLEN MORAY LION HEART
With figs ripe and ready in early autumn, it’s a great time to enjoy this fruit in a seasonal cocktail. INGREDIENTS 50ml Glen Moray Port Cask Finish 20ml primitive Italian wine 10ml Amarena cherry syrup 1 dash Prosecco Fresh fig slices
74 A-MAGAZINE
METHOD Pour 50ml Glen Moray Cask Finish over a rocks glass filled with ice. Add 20ml primitive Italian wine, 10ml Amarena cherry syrup, and top with a dash of Prosecco before stirring. Garnish with thin slices of fresh fig.
METHOD Fill a shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake and fine strain into a chilled coupette glass. Garnish with a marchino cherry.
E D I U G E N I L N O R R U E T YO S E H C N A M T TO A G N I V I L k CITY u . .co
e n i z a g a am
MCR NEWS RECIPES
PEOPLE TRAVEL
MADRID The destination for business
WHAT
We all know Spain’s capital as a destination for great food, sightseeing and shopping, but Madrid is fast becoming a hotspot for business as well. Packed with handy hotels and cool bars, Madrid is the new place to really wow your business connections without having to settle for the typical tourist experience of the city.
THE BUZZ
Madrid is quickly developing a new identity as a go-to destination for international business. As the South American market grows, Madrid is emerging as the gateway between Europe and South America: the place where professionals from across the world connect. More and more professionals are bringing their business to Madrid and AC Hotels by Marriott are ready to welcome this drive for international business.
76 A-MAGAZINE
PHOTO: Carlos Zurita
The stylish lobby at the AC Hotel Cuzco
STAY AC HOTEL CUZCO
marriott.com/hotels/travel/madcu-achotel-cuzco Recognising the same entrepreneurial spirit in his guests that motivated him to dedicate his life to the hotel business, AC Hotels founder Antonio Catalán wants his Spanish hotels, the Madrid site especially, to be a hub for international business. Self-described as someone who “wants to die with his tie on”, Catalán’s life-long commitment to business means that his hotels are designed with your working life in mind. Renovated in 2015 with an
updated version of AC Hotels’ signature sophisticated style, AC Hotel Cuzco strips away the unnecessary, letting you get on with what you do best – business, of course. Located in the heart of the city and close to the IFEMA Exhibition Center, AC Hotel Cuzco makes for an ideal meeting place. The hotel is set up to make your working life easier: perfect for business functions, AC Hotel Cuzco allows you to host clients all day from breakfast in the AC Loungue to fuel your busy day ahead, to meetings in one of the hotel’s many spaces - all equipped with Internet and audio-visual equipment, and finally unwinding in the bar with well-deserved celebratory drinks at the end of the day. Suite Room
The city at night, the corner of Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía
Lounge Superior Room
Fitness gym
A-MAGAZINE 77
Nubel
EAT & DRINK KIKEKELLER
kikekeller.com Take your clients for a drink to remember at Kikekeller. In the up-and-coming area of Malasaña sits KikeKeller, a design studio, art shop and quirky bar all-in-one. As you sip on a signature cocktail, you’ll notice that almost everything around you is for sale - the artwork on the walls, the chair you’re sat in, quite possibly even the glass you’re drinking from. Who knows, you might just help your client find a perfect new art piece along with a great business deal. Make sure you look out for Spanish royalty - apparently, the royal family are regulars at Kikekeller!
NUBEL
nubel.es If you really want to pull out all the stops and impress your clients, a dinner at NuBel is one sure-fire way to do it. Dining here is a unique experience; the restaurant is set inside the Reina Sofía Museum and promises a taste of the more deluxe side of Madrid. Dinner and drinks on NuBel’s colourful terrace, next to a Lichtenstein sculpture, is a great way to feel inspired and get your creative juices flowing. Tuck into house specials like breaded veal or sweet potato cannelloni as you finalise your next business move. Kikeller
BASTARDO HOSTEL
bastardohostel.com/en/ A popular meeting point for locals and travellers alike, Bastardo is a hotel, bar and creative space. All about a free-spirited attitude, Bastardo offers a break from the ultra-corporate. There’s nothing better to put you in a good mood than some great grub, so head here for a relaxed lunch meeting. You can’t fail to make a great connection over Bastardo’s delicious rotisserie chicken, washed down with a pint of artisan beer. Bastardo Hostel
THE VERDICT At AC Hotel Cuzo, it’s all set up for you - you’ve just got to use it: drinks, meetings, and that all-important downtime is catered for here, allowing you to get on with whatever brings you to Madrid and relax at the end of it too. BOOK YOUR STAY AT AC HOTEL CUZCO AT marriott.co.uk/ hotels/travel/madcu-ac-hotel-cuzco/.
78 A-MAGAZINE
The Scottish capital has got a naughty, new attitude
EDINBURGH A room with a view
80 A-MAGAZINE
PHOTO: Sarah Snelling
DO HARVEY NICHOLS
Sunset over the city
PHOTO: Robert V Ruggiero
harveynichols.com/store/edinburgh
It might be a bit controversial, but we say sod climbing Calton Hill and head to Harvey Nics for a glass of champagne instead. This way you can enjoy the view without the workout and you get to indulge in a spot of shopping too.
21ST CENTURY KILTS 21stcenturykilts.com
The Radisson lobby
West Bow in the heart of the Old Town
STAY RADISSON COLLECTION HOTEL
radissoncollection.com/en/royalmile-hotel-edinburgh Forget what you think you know about Edinburgh. A visit to the Scottish capital isn’t about quaint, little fudge shops anymore, today, it’s got a whole, new attitude. To paraphrase Justin Timberlake, the Radisson is bringing sexy back to the city. The hotel oozes cool and is perfect for couples looking for a fun weekend getaway. Where else would you be greeted by buff, kilted-concierge ready to manhandle your luggage? If you’re after the best of the best, our top tip is to book room 507: here, you can enjoy amazing views of Edinburgh Castle without even having to get out of bed! We recommend you do some exploring though as the Radisson puts you right at the heart of Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town, so it’s only a short walk from go-to shopping destinations Princes Street, the National Museum of Scotland, and the Castle itself.
Forget crappy keyrings, a kilt has got to be the ultimate souvenir from your time in Edinburgh. At this independent store, founder Howie Nicholsby reimagines the kilt for the modern man with his designs having been worn by the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Vin Diesel. Pick up one of Howie’s kilts instore or book an appointment and have your own bespoke kilt created in 6-8 weeks.
DICK’S
dicks-edinburgh.co.uk Found in Edinburgh’s New Town, you won’t see any fashion fads here; Dick’s is home to stylish things that are made beautifully. This is the place to invest in some clothing or homeware that you’ll love and make use of for years to come.
A-MAGAZINE 81
EAT CUCINA
radissoncollection.com/en/royalmilehotel-edinburgh/dining The Radisson’s very own restaurant serves up Italian dishes with a Scottish twist. Playful pops of pink and eye-catching florals make for a great atmosphere in which to kick off your evening. Go all out and order the lobster – you’ll thank us – then head over to the bar for a cocktail or two, before hitting the town.
HAWKSMOOR
thehawksmoor.com/locations/ edinburgh/ Placing Edinburgh firmly on the dining map is Hawksmoor. The famous steak restaurant arrives in the city before landing in New York in 2019. The newly-opened restaurant is in good company in what’s been dubbed the ‘cuisine quarter’ with Gaucho, The Ivy, and Vapiano as its stylish neighbours. As Hawksmoor’s only Scottish site, diners flock here for its sleek décor, and, of course, some of the best steak in the UK.
Cucina at The Radisson Cucina cocktails
Indigo Yard
INDIGO YARD
indigoyardedinburgh.co.uk Visit this cosy spot in Edinburgh’s West End and chill out with a craft beer and a burger, or keep the party going with some Bloody Mary’s as part of the ‘Boozy Brunch’. Indigo Yard’s terrace is a great suntrap on the edge of the canal that’s sure to make for some envy-inducing Insta shots.
Hawksmoor steak and bone marrow
TIGERLILY
tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk This boutique hotel is home to a bar with must-taste cocktails. Get the royal treatment with the ‘Queen of Hearts’: Stolichnaya Elit vodka, lemon, strawberries, ginger, bitters, and – A-Mag favourite – Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne. There’s a whole menu of delights to sample, so sip away into the small hours at Tigerlily. Tigerlily
82 A-MAGAZINE
Hawksmoor Native lobster
Main bar at Indigo Yard
VISIT ORLANDO, FLORIDA Escape to Florida this autumn! Stay in this luxury Davenport villa in a gated
community that’s just a 10-minute drive from Walt Disney
World Resort. The villa’s 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, south facing swimming pool and super-fast Wi-Fi make for an
unforgettable holiday.
For more details visit floridavilladavenport.co.uk
LONDON The Alternative London City Guide
84 A-MAGAZINE
Craft London
EAT CRAFT LONDON
STAY ALOFT LONDON EXCEL
craft-london.co.uk aloftlondonexcel.com
Forget the usual tourist traps, we’ve discovered a surfer-dude sanctuary within the M25 border that makes for whole new experience of London. A stay at Aloft London Excel offers what feels like an escape from the big city without actually leaving at all. Nestled in the London Docklands area, this sleek, modern hotel has everything you need. What better way to wake up than with a dip in the swimming pool to start your day, and then unwind in the evening with dinner in Aloft’s gorgeous restaurant, before recharging in what’s probably the comfiest bed we’ve slept in all year. Perfectly located for making the most of Docklands’ entertainment, you can try your hand at some water sports, or head over to The 02 for a big show in style on the Emirates Air Line.
A celebration of the best of British, dinner at Greenwich-based Craft London is the perfect way to kick off your night, before
seeing an unforgettable show at The 02. Much more than amazing food, Craft is all about doing it themselves which is why they roast their own coffee, smoke their own fish, and have even ventured into bee keeping. Look out for interior touches there from British designer Tom Dixon!
LEROY
leroyshoreditch.com A real highlight for your alternative London trip has to be a visit to Leroy. The brains
behind the much-loved Michelin-starred Ellory restaurant have brought us a new venue that’s all about great wines and chilled vibes. Keeping food simple but surprising, Leroy lets you escape from the hustle and bustle of Shoreditch and sit back and relax with a gorgeous glass of wine and experiment with beautiful small plates of crudo and charcuterie. Leroy
A-MAGAZINE 85
DO WAKEUP DOCKLANDS wakeupdocklands.com
Wakeup Docklands Emirates Air Line
You’d be forgiven for thinking you were overseas when visiting this hidden gem at the Royal Victoria Dock! The lesser-known London hotspot offers your chance to do a city break with a difference. Embrace your adventurous side and get out onto the water to enjoy on-trend sports, paddleboarding and wakeboarding.
EMIRATES AIR LINE emiratesairline.co.uk
Forget getting stuck in the tunnel on your way to The 02 and fly over with a glass of champagne instead thanks to the Emirates Air Line.
EAST LONDON BIKE TOURS
alternativeldn.co.uk/london_street_art_ tour Delve deeper into the art that’s transformed London’s East End scene and get a dose of culture as you cycle around the city streets, taking in the area’s incredible street art and learning more about the politics behind it. Discover a brand-new perspective on East London.
East London Bike Tours
86 A-MAGAZINE
N I O J O T T N A W ? Y L I M A F A E H T
-Family A e h t , s u r o ith us or f w k r o w u nchester o a M f o t s e Whether y b ating the r b le e c t u o is all ab A_Magazine_Manchester.pdf
1
06/09/2018
14:25
Can your home in Manchester earn you extra?
ESTABLISHED UK COMPETITOR
NEW TO THE UK LO
Get Airsorted.
C
M
WRY OUTLET
Earn £103 per night* on Airbnb by letting Airsorted manage your home hassle-free.
SAT 29TH – SUN 30TH
Airsorted takes care of everything for you, from cleaning & laundry to 24/7 support for your guests, saving you time earning you more.
SAT 27TH – SUN 28TH
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Y
Featuring locally sourced
CM
MY
artisan foods, drinks and
CY
CMY
award–winning crafts.
K
IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON SOCIAL
890K
PEOPLE REACHED
20K
*Based on an Airsorted managed property in Central Manchester
IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON SOCIAL
Sun 11am – 5pm
102K
ENGAGEMENTS
ENGAGEMENTS
1.2%
12,391%
FOLLOWER GROWTH
Opening Times Sat 10am – 7pm
12.6M
PEOPLE REACHED
FOLLOWER GROWTH
THIS IS THE ENGAGE HUB WAY. WANT TO OVERTAKE YOUR COMPETITOR?
Hassle-free home sharing
Advertise
Fancy seeing your brand in A-Magazine? Get in touch with us at info@amagazine.co.uk
0161 222 3450 | ENGAGEHUB.CO.UK
TO OUR NEWSLETTER Find out the latest about the city and its people at amagazine.co.uk
Stock
Visit
amagazine.co.uk
For Manchester news, people, recipes and travel guides
Want to stock A-Magazine at your venue? To get each issue delivered straight to your venue, contact info@amagazine.co.uk
Join
LIKE
@amagazineuk
VIEW
@amagazineuk
FOLLOW
@amagazineuk
15
SUMMER 2018
Sign up
MANCHESTER’S
under 30
Keen to become an A-Mag intern? Send your CV to bethany@amagazine.co.uk
WHAT’S ON? SEPT EM B E R
7
CAMEL The Bridgewater Hall
8
INCUBUS O2 Apollo
8 THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT Manchester Academy 8
1
▲ THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN Manchester Arena
1-5
SPICEUP Manchester Central
2
BARRY MANILOW Manchester Arena
2
GOMEZ O2 Ritz
2
THE LONE BELLOW Royal Exchange Theatre
2
MANCHESTER 100 Wythenshawe Park
2
THE CHESHIRE BAZAAR Adlington Hall
5-8
DAVE GORMAN The Lowry
6-7
ARCTIC MONKEYS Manchester Arena
6
AARON WATSON Band on the Wall
6
MANCHESTER RUM AND CHOCOLATE TASTING The Lowry
6
▼ CLARE BOWEN The Bridgewater Hall
MONKEY TENNIS THE ALAN PARTRIDGE FAN PODCAST The Lowry
8-9
▲ THE BIG GRILL Castlefield Bowl
9
EMERGENCY SERVICES DAY Heaton Park
9
MURMUR Common Bar
11-15
THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY The Lowry
13
ME, YOU AND GEORGE CLOONEY The Lowry
14
MAN Band on the Wall
14-15
COCKTAILS IN THE CITY New Century Hall
14-6 OCT QUEEN MARGARET Exchange Theatre 15
GIANTS LIVE Manchester Arena
15
MURS Band on the Wall
15 THE WITCHES: IMMERSIVE FILM SCREENING Z-arts 16
THE ROLLING STONES STORY Manchester Opera House
16
FLAWLESS The Bridgewater Hall
16
▼ STAR SHAPED FESTIVAL O2 Ritz
16
GRUFF RHYS Royal Northern College of Music
17-18
OUTSTAGEUS The Lowry
14-29 ▼ OTHELLOMACBETH HOME
18-24 NOV ▲ MATILDA Palace Theatre
88 A-MAGAZINE
19-22
MEEK The Lowry
20
THE TRAILER PARK BOYS Albert Hall
20
TORY LANEZ Victoria Warehouse
COMPETITION
WIN A dinner for two at The Rivals Bar & Restaurant and two tickets to the Royal Exchange Theatre’s production of ‘The Producers’
To enter
For a chance to win just answer the following question:
Which Manchester square is the Royal Exchange Theatre located next to? A CIRCLE SQUARE B ST PETER’S SQUARE C ST ANN’S SQUARE Send your name and answer to win@amagazine.co.uk A-MAGAZINE 89
20-29
THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD Royal Exchange Theatre
21
50 CENT Manchester Arena
21-23
DIVERSITY: IGNITE Intu Trafford Centre
22
SHANIA TWAIN Manchester Arena
22
▼ BIFFY CLYRO Manchester Opera House
O CTO BE R
10-14
OKTOBERFEST Albert Square
1
KYLIE MINOGUE 11 Manchester Arena
4-8
GRIMMFEST Various Manchester venues
11-17
DEATH OF A SALESMAN Royal Exchange Theatre
4 MANCHESTER CAMERATA: CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS The Stoller Hall
12-14
MANCHESTER ART FAIR Manchester Central
12-14
FAREWELL WEEKEND HSBC UK National Cycling Centre
13
SUPERLEAGUE RUGBY GRAND FINAL Emirates Old Trafford
16
SAM RAPLEY’S FABLED Band on the Wall
TOM ROBINSON Band on the Wall
16-18 FOODIES FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS Tatton Park 4-7 ▲ INDY MAN BEER CON Victoria Baths 22 JOSE GONZALEZ Albert Hall 5 ASIA TRIENNIAL MANCHESTER 18 22 THE BRITISH SOUND EXHIBITION PROJECT HOME Victoria Warehouse 6-21 MANCHESTER LITERATURE 23 AGAINST THE CURRENT FESTIVAL O2 Ritz Various Manchester venues 23
JASON DERULO Manchester Arena
6-7
23
LANKUM Royal Exchange
7
25-29
ROCK OF AGES Manchester Opera House
10-12 10-14
26-30
▲ CIRQUE DE SOLEIL: OVO Manchester Arena
27
HACIENDA CLASSICAL Bridgewater Hall
27-8 OCT MANCHESTER FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL Albert Square 28
PALE WAVES O2 Ritz
29
MACBETH The Lowry
90 A-MAGAZINE
DAY OUT WITH THOMAS Bolton Street Station
18
WILL VARLEY O2 Ritz
18-21
ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET - KENNETH MACMILLAN’S MANON Manchester Opera House
19
U2 Manchester Arena
22-27 MANCHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL HOME
23 RUDIMENTAL DEBUSSY AT 100 O2 Apollo Carole Nash Hall 23-27 OTHELLO RAMBERT: LIFE IS A DREAM Oldham Coliseum The Lowry 24 LET IT BE ▼ DISNEY ON ICE Manchester PRESENTS DREAM BIG Opera House Manchester Arena
25
MARIO BIONDI Band on the Wall
26
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS Manchester Arena
26-27
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER O2 Apollo
N OVE MBE R 1
WHAT’S ON?
THE BLACK EYED PEAS O2 Apollo
10-24 FEB LOWRY & THE PRE RAPHAELITES Pier 8 12-1 DEC
KINKY BOOTS Manchester Opera House
14
JOSH GROBAN Manchester Arena
15-17
THE MERRY WIDOW The Lowry
16
JESSIE J Manchester Academy
16-1 DEC THE MAIDS HOME
26-27 ▲ LEMN SISSAY: GOLD FROM THE STONE HOME 27 GHOSTLY WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT Exchange Square 27-28
MANCHESTER WHISKY FESTIVAL 2018 Manchester Cathedral
27-28
HALLOWEEN IN THE CITY Manchester City Centre
27-28
THE MAIN STAGE Exchange Square
28
THE SPOOKY POOCH PARADE Exchange Square
29
▼ DITA VON TEESE’S ‘THE ART OF THE TEESE’ BURLESQUE REVUE O2 Apollo
17
JESS GLYNNE Manchester Arena
18
JOHNNY MARR O2 Apollo
19
METRIC O2 Ritz
19
JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT Bridgewater Hall
1-10
▲ CALENDAR GIRLS The Lowry
2
OUT ON THE FLOORMANCHESTER CAMERATA PRESENT NORTHERN SOUL AND MOTOWN Bridgewater Hall
2
DAVID BYRNE Manchester Arena
20-1 DEC
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE The Lowry
2 - 3
COCKTAILS IN THE CITY New Century Hall
20
NOTHING BUT THIEVES O2 Apollo
2-10
WAREHOUSE PROJECT & MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL SPECIAL EDITION Mayfield
21
REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD-ART EXHIBITION & DISCUSSION Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
4
SIMPLY SINATRA Bridgewater Hall
21-25
KEVIN BRIDGES: BRAND NEW TOUR O2 Apollo
4
PHRONESIS The Northern Quarter
23
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE Manchester Arena
7
GRAYSON PERRY Opera House
26
JAIN Manchester Gorilla
26
LAURYN HILL Manchester Arena
26-1 DEC
BENIDORM Palace Theatre
8 ▼ KIDZ TO ADULTZ NORTH EventCity
27 FOCUS + EDGAR BROUGHTON Band on the Wall
29
MICHAEL BOLTON Bridgewater Hall
29-31
SONS OF KEMET Band on the Wall
29-31 BULLISH HOME
9
MICHAEL BOLTON Opera House
9
SLAYER Manchester Arena
10-11
DIGITAL KIDS SHOW Manchester Central
27
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS O2 Apollo
29
YEARS AND YEARS O2 Apollo
30
▼ JASON MANFORD: MUDDLE CLASS Manchester Arena
10-6 JAN JOHN WALTER:CAPSID HOME
A-MAGAZINE 91