Some suits are born great, and some have greatness thrust upon them, and Bull & Bear sommelier Dan Loughlin’s new whistle falls into the latter category, though that might depend a bit on your allegiance. A tweet of Dan’s suit went viral this week, thanks to its inventive lining.
Dan has had two beloved Manchester United kits from his childhood incorporated into the suit that he wears for work at the restaurant, on the ground floor of the plush Stock Exchange Hotel, owned by former United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs.
“The red one, I’ll have been nine when they won the Champions League final in 1999, so that was the winner’s kit, when they won the treble,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “The other was a hand me down from my brother, because Cantona was his favourite player.”
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The suit was made by tailor Scott Hufton, the proprietor of Owen Scott, which has shops in Huddersfield, Leeds and Mayfair. “Scott is one of our regular guests, and dines with us quite often,” Dan went on. “He said ‘I like the suit that you’re wearing but we need to get you in one of ours’. So I went out to the shop in Huddersfield and had a chat and Scott came up with this amazing idea of using my old kits.”
“It’s important to make good first impressions with the clients that we work with, and that’s exactly what Scott specialises in. He makes suits for Gary Neville, some of the other folk on Sky Sports, for Amir Khan, Conor McGregor.”
How much it cost, he won’t say, but he says it’s become an interesting talking point, particularly given the restaurant and hotel’s connection to football and United in particular. “We already have very strong links with Old Trafford, and as well there’s some public interest, because people are aware of the ownership,” Dan went on.
“And when they ask which team I support, which happens pretty regularly, it’s a fun way to answer the question, to just flash the lining. Of course, people love it or hate it, depending if they’re a United fan or not!
“But even if they’re not United fans, people still really like the idea of it. They can see the workmanship in it, and often people have commented on how good the suit looks already.”
Gary Neville hasn’t made his opinions known about the suit to Dan directly yet, but he retweeted the original viral tweet - now with close to 2000 likes, so it’s assumed he approves. “Perhaps he might have been hoping there would be a Neville written on the inside, but who knows!” Dan joked.
The Stock Exchange Hotel, on the site of Manchester’s old stock exchange on Norfolk Street, in 2019. Its flagship restaurant, the Bull & Bear, is overseen by celebrated Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge.
Meanwhile, it was announced earlier this year that the team behind Schofield’s bar off Deansgate are set to open a new cocktail bar in the hotel’s basement. Called Sterling, it’s set to open later this summer.
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