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The Manor in Biggleswade is both a bar and a barbershop. The finalist in the Modern Barber Awards Best Interiors category combines elegance, refinement and 5* service
THE MANOR, 72 HIGH STREET, BIGGLESWADE, SG18 0LJ
OWNER: Mannie and Taran Basra
INSTAGRAM: @themanor_barbers
OPENED: 4 July 2020
BUDGET: £70k – but we went over!
THE STORY: I had a vision of exactly what I wanted The Manor to be –a bar and barbershop that blended seamlessly. We wanted a place where clients could have a drink before, after or during their appointment and fully relax in luxurious surroundings.
BRIEF: The space had to be optimised to work as both bar and barbershop. It needed to feel high end and be 5* quality (and that’s exactly the rating we get on Booksy!)
BUILD: The design and fit of the shop took 11 months to complete. The premises was originally a convenience store so everything had to be converted into a working barbershop – we had to remove all fridges, units and pipework, we added a customer toilet and we had to create a stock area. The shop fit-out did cost a huge amount, but we could not have created the environment we have without spending the money. Everything is bespoke, from the specially-cut and fitted oak to the buttoned leather feature wall. We had challenges along the way, but took advice from fellow barbers to overcome any issues. For example, initially we were only going to have four barber stations and one wash basin station. However, fellow barbers advised us we would need two washbasin units if we wanted to wash all our clients’ hair. I then gathered a few ideas and found a system that worked for us. We made the final two stations into both barber stations and hair wash stations. Our barbers simply spin the chair round and lean the clients back into the basin to wash their hair. It did cost more money as the overall design had to change, but now these two stations look amazing.
BEST THING: Our favourite thing about the space has got to be the atmosphere. The entire design of the shop is built to be convivial and friendly. Clients enjoy coming to The Manor to escape – and what better way to relax than with a drink and a haircut?