One of Scotland’s best-loved eyewear brands is expanding, and has picked Manchester as the location for its first-ever English store.
IOLLA may originally be known to Mancunians for designing Tommy Shelby’s specs in the hit BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders, but now, following success in its native country, the innovative glasses brand is bringing a fresh take on eyewear retail to the shopping and fashion scene in our city centre, and will be opening its doors in St Ann’s Square.
The independent brand has introduced a new way to buy eyewear by offering affordable, quality glasses and sunglasses for a single price point.
What makes IOLLA different to many other high street glasses labels is that the brand prides itself on keeping its pricing “simple and honest” by refusing to include any hidden costs or added extras – which means that prescription lenses and coatings are all included within the standard £85.
On top of that, IOLLA showrooms are known for allowing customers to browse, try-on the collection, and place their orders in a fun and relaxed environment.
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When the new IOLLA Manchester store opens in early August, customers will get the chance to experience an in-store ‘styling session’ with an IOLLA eyewear expert – who will use their expertise to help people find the perfect pair.
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As IOLLA doesn’t offer eye tests, customers planning on visiting the showroom are encouraged to have their prescriptions to hand before placing their order through the digitally-enabled platform, either in person or online.
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All of the brand’s glasses and sunglasses are handmade, uniquely-designed, and built to last by using the best-quality components and materials available.
IOLLA guarantees there are several styles of its glasses to suit everyone, meaning that customers can develop their very-own ‘eyewear wardrobe’ full of multiple pairs of eyewear that is unique to their own personal style and taste.
Innovative glasses brand IOLLA is bringing a fresh take on eyewear retail to Manchester / Credit: IOLLA
“We are incredibly excited to be launching our first store outside of Scotland, and where better than Manchester?,” said Stefan Hunter – CEO at IOLLA.
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“One of the fashion capitals of the UK – and the perfect launch location for IOLLA south of the border.
“We can’t wait to bring our range of high quality, affordable glasses to the city, including our MacDonald frames, inspired by Tommy Shelby’s glasses worn in series five of Peaky Blinders. We know Manchester has a link to the show already, so feel confident that they’ll be a popular choice with locals.
“With an enormous range of frames and colours, we guarantee that there are several options for everyone.
“This will enable you to find plenty of styles handpicked for your own personal look.”
The Scottish brand will be opening its first showroom in England in St Ann’s Square next month / Credit: IOLLA
IOLLA Manchester is opening on St Ann’s Square in the heart of the city centre in early August, with exact dates to be confirmed, so keep your eyes peeled.
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You can find out more and shop the brand before it opens here.
Featured Image – IOLLA
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Inside The Black Friar as Salford pub unveils incredible floral display
Daisy Jackson
Spring has really sprung in Salford – legendary pub The Black Friar has just revealed a sensational makeover, with gigantic flowers sprawled across its frontage and a new seasonal menu to go with it.
The historic pub is celebrating the changing of the seasons with both a striking floral installation and a menu that celebrates spring and Salford in equal measure.
Most Mancs will by now have spotted the 4,000 flower-strong installation that now adorns the front of The Black Friar, with bright pink, yellow and purple flowers spilling from a gigantic pink tap.
And all those florals continue inside, with the pub’s Tavern – previously a cosy winter hideaway – now filled with trailing blooms and woodland installations, just off their award-winning garden.
Cheshire-based artist Kelly Louise Chapman is the woman behind this sensational transformation of the much-loved gastropub.
As for the pub’s kitchen, they’ve crafted a new very seasonal and very British menu, with plenty of nods to Black Friar’s Salford roots.
There are dishes like a Boddingtons braised ox cheek (the pub still proudly displays its Boddingtons sign outside), aged beef tartare, butternut squash and ricotta tortellini, and pan-roasted cod fillet.
Spring small plates at The Black Friar pubDelicious spring drinksInside The Tavern at The Black Friar
A popular item from the Valentine’s Day menu – the Cornish crab vol-au-vent – will be sticking around on the spring menu, along with an enhanced grill section that includes a lamb Barnsley chop cooked over coals.
Then for desserts, you’ll be spoilt with a banoffee knickerbocker glory, and passionfruit panna cotta.
And for drinks (because this is a pub, after all), The Black Friar has put together a range of seasonal drinks like a rose sangria sharer, and non-alcoholic sodas like kaffir lime and coconut.
Ben Chaplin, head chef at The Black Friar, said: “This new menu is all about celebrating the best of spring produce.
“We’ve carefully crafted each dish to highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavours, adding new depth to our offerings while still delivering the comfort that will always be associated with The Black Friar.
“My top recommendation and personal favourite dish is the Slow-Cooked Boddingtons Braised Ox Cheek.”
Neil Burke, owner of The Black Friar, commented: “We wanted to bring a taste of spring to The Black Friar, inside and out. This floral installation will transform the space and bring sunshine and smiles, whatever the weather!
“My top recommendation on the new menu is the Cumbrian Spiced Lamb Scotch Egg. It’s EXCEPTIONAL.”
To find out more about The Black Friar and to book a table, visit HERE.
You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us
Thomas Melia
We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office– including to those of us here in Manchester.
In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.
Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.
The gorgeous set up provided by RuubyLook at that lovely branding on the towels.They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)
In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.
The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.
If you’re feeling scepticalstill, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.
There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.
Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.
After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!Credit: The Manc Group
My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!
The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.
It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?
As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
21st July 2022 
