Manik Kingsway, Prescot L35 5BN

"!!!-LONG REVIEW WARNING-!!! Please make yourself a cuppa and a sandwich and sit down. What an experience! I had just completed the Yeard (year beard) and it is my pride and joy. I was super nervous about going to a barbershop as I regularly hear horror stories about people getting their beards assassinated by barbers, often barbers of a certain nationality. Think kebabs. I was in my local Asda when I spotted a gentleman with a fantastically shaped beard. I walked up to him and said, “Excuse me?” He moved aside. “Sorry mate!” “Excuse me?” I tried again. He attempted to budge further but the shelving blocked his way. I changed tactics. “Can I ask where you got your beard barbered?” “Oh yeah.” he said. “Manik in Prescott.” I looked online. Every single review was positive and, as far as I could tell, all the staff are British. Let me make something clear here: This is not a race issue, I just need to be understood 100% as I have come to the conclusion that the phrase “Just a trim.” translates directly as “Shearing contest.” in Turkish. The Buildup: After bravely forgoing any form of tranquillisation, I arrived to my appointment and was warmly greeted and seated. I described my idea of a blocky, square shaped beard and included some very specific detailing involving my sideburns and neckline. After listening intently, Aaron professionally and courteously talked me through what he thought would be the best way to achieve this, given my wavy beard hair and the thinness of some of the fresher growth. This 5 minute+ pre-cut talk put me thoroughly at ease and all thoughts of doing a runner slipped from my mind. The Cut: Aaron scissored, clippered, shaped and sculpted my beard, sideys and ‘tashe. He respectfully followed my guidelines but used his knowledge and expertise where improvisation was needed. After a while he stopped, looked at the shape of the beard from several angles, combed it out a little and made some fine-detail adjustments. What happened next is a bit blurry to be honest as I found myself so relaxed, it was almost like a state of meditation. I hadn’t felt so laid-back, tripped out and relaxed since 1996 at Glastonbury Festival when I ate one too many hash brownies and……….erm…..ANYWAY! Both hot and cold towels were used to wrap my face. Amazing smelling products were applied. A bit of a face massage happened……I think. Some cut-throat razor edging was done. Not sure what order those things happened in. The Result: Not too much length was taken off. The boldness and thickness on the cheeks remained but the bushiness was tamed. A blocky, squareness was achieved and the bulk of the beard under my chin and jaw was preserved. “A good template!” announced Aaron. “Above and beyond!” I told him. I was well pleased. Made up! I messaged the wife to tell her she doesn’t need to make me a bed in the garden shed as I still have my beard. As Arnie would say, “GET TO DA CHOPPA!” No wait, that’s the wrong one. As Arnie would say, “I’ll be back!” There we go. Ladies and Gentlemen: This has been the best service I have received for anything - ever."

"1st visit to Manik today and from now.on I will never go anywhere else. Aaron - you are a top bloke and provided an absolutely 1st class service...personality, respect and attention to detail is beyond any barbers I've been to in 30 years (whether in London, Manchester or Liverpool). Simply cannot recommend highly enough"

"Having managed to secure an unexpected, early booking for a Saturday (10th) via the Booksy App (thanks for the heads-up, Connor!) I arrived with a degree of trepidation for my first cut. (Previous recent visits to other local establishments, since I'd moved to Huyton from Leicestershire back in December 2021 had left my usually presentable hairstyle as a total disaster area!!) My first and overall impression was that, FAR from the suggestion by its tradename ("Manik") I was struck by the calm and friendly atmosphere that prevailed. Furthermore, once I was greeted and sat in the chair, Connor took time to put me at my ease and explained what he would need to do to redress the damage done by previous salons. He spent quite some time shaping and trimming etc. until after what, I believe, was well over the usual 45 minute consultation, I eventually left with an absolute transformation (maybe just a wee bit shorter than I would normally go for) but, as Connor explained it was necessary to take the cut that much shorter to "lay the foundations" for a much better second cut in four weeks time!! I am now looking forward to my next visit (already booked!) My thanks to Connor and the team. Roger Cramer"

"Fantastic experience in a clean environment. All of the staff are friendly and interactive, great conversation between the lads and excellent service overall. This isn’t my first time at the shop, I’ve had my haircut off different staff members and are all of great quality. Would highly recommend."