OUR STORY

THE MANCHESTER SHOP ESTABLISHED 2015

Manc and Proud was created from the love of bees, Britpop and chip butties. We wanted to create a brand that spoke to all Mancunians, whether you were born and bred in Oldham (and so was yer mam) or you came here for uni and liked it so much you stayed. In the wise words of Ian Brown, "it's not where you're from, it's where you're at."
So many people from Manchester are incredibly inspirational, whether it's contemporary bards like Stephen Patrick Morrissey, or revolutionary feminists like Emmeline Pankhurst. We wanted to honour that and recognise what amazing things Mancunians are capable of. We wanted to make things that people of Manchester would identify with and be proud of and think "yeah, that's for me, sound."
The diversity Manchester has given us is reflected in the designs we've produced, whether it's the signature Manc and Proud logo featuring the iconic Manchester bee, or the Liam Gallagher p*sstake Mancunicorn tee (fabricated at the end of a hyperactive brews-and-brainstorms sesh one rainy afternoon) Everything we do is collaborative, from the beginning stages of an idea as weird as a twisted melon, to being handed over to our production team on the 4th floor of Afflecks and then put in our shop to go home with you.

AFFLECKS

The Manchester Shop is based in Afflecks, an alternative 30 year old institution in the city centre. This massive old brick building is crammed with eclectic eccentricity with indie shops and small businesses, offering everything from freakshakes to dog reiki. Situated in the Northern Quarter, the best part of Manchester for great shops, great bars and a great time. We began our journey at our original home in Luna with a small range, while we traded around the city centre at various markets, including Manchester Pride, Christmas and Easter Markets. Then in April 2018 we opened The Manchester Shop on Oldham Street. There you'll find all of our iconic designs plus loads of other Manchester themed gear.
If you're coming to visit the Northern Quarter and need more info on where to visit, check out their news website and blog for updates on things to do!

THE MANCHESTER BEE

In 1853, Manchester achieved city status. Seven bees were incorporated into its coat of arms to symbolise Manchester’s influence during the Industrial Revolution. The city was dubbed a ‘hive of industry’ and its citizens ‘worker bees’. The Manchester Bee now proudly symbolises the City of Manchester and its unique people.
The bee can be spotted all over Manchester, from the town hall tiled mosaic floor to the public bins and bollards throughout the city. The bee has become a symbol of togetherness and unity of Mancunians, many people had bee tattoos as part of a charity appeal after the Manchester Attack.

CHARITY T-SHIRT

On 22nd May 2017, 22 people were killed as a result of a terrorist incident at Manchester Evening News Arena during an Ariana Grande concert. This shocked the whole city, we never thought something this tragic could happen in our home. Everyone wanted to help, we got together and thought about what we could do. Our Manc and Proud logo t-shirt had been a best seller for us throughout the year, so we decided to give £10 profit from each sale to the British Red Cross through the MEN JustGiving fund.
The response was incredible. We were getting orders from all over the world, hundreds of people wanted to show support for the cause. While we worked solidly to make sure people got their shirts, Manchester rebuilt itself, the community stood together and got stronger.
After an emotional month of making thousands of t-shirts (and drinking thousands of brews!) we made our first donation of £11,370. We were overwhelmed with this achievement and incredibly grateful to everyone who bought a t-shirt from us. Whether it was online, in Afflecks or at Manchester Market, the donations were sent on to a very worthy cause. We carried on for another month and raised over £13,000. Thank you to anyone who supported us at this time!