Johnny The Baba Arrives In Manchester

Confidentials 26 November 2013

JOHNNY the Baba has arrived from Limerick. He's spruced up a shop unit in the lovely Barton Arcade and turned it into a chrome-filled haircut classic.

"All the staff will be smart, polished shoes, good clothes, but with the right attitude as well. Old-fashioned virtues you could say."

Interesting man our Johnny. He's got ideas.

"I want to create something really cool you know? A proper gents barbers," he said when we visited. "This isn't just any typical hair salon, it's a men's sanctuary. You can have a cup of coffee or a beer before the shave. If you're early for a meeting then you can come in here."

Johnny paused, "I want men to look forward to going to the barbers, you know, as if they were going to a bar maybe to meet mates and have a laugh, talk the sport, whatever."

All aspects of men's face and hair preparation are offered with livery to match. Johnny's proud of this.

"All the staff will be smart, polished shoes, good clothes, but with the right attitude as well. Old-fashioned virtues you could say."

The Baba's immaculate staff

Confidential had a wet shave and it was extremely soothing despite the swish of the cut-throat razor across throat and chin. The application of hot and cold towels, the steam, the ritual of the thing was almost Zen-like. Tranquility on a chair.

The only moment of anxiety occurred when with a flourish of said razor, Johnny said, "Saw Sweeney Todd at the Royal Exchange Theatre last night. Very good but very dark."

You have to try hard at that point not to think of demon barbers or meat pies.

The good news with the shave was that unlike an experience in a well-known gents grooming establishment a couple of years ago, Johnny managed a smooth finish and no extra layers of skin were removed. It was an expert cut.

"The Baba experience is £24 for a full cut (wash, neck shave and the rest)," Johnny told us. "For a full wet shave like your's it's £25. It's £45 for the cut and the shave combined. We also do beard sculpting with steam preparation finished with a hot towel throat shave and a choice of beard oils £19."

Beard oils. Wow.

Maybe Confidential staff need to grow beards.

Johnny the Baba is in the Barton Arcade, Deansgate. @JohnnyTheBaba