Murdock London at Hackett Spitalfields | Barber Service Review

Last week myself and Hollie took advantage of half term and headed down to London for a few days - We stayed at CitizenM on Bankside, as we loved the Glasgow hotel so much. If you're looking for a great hotel at a decent price then I'd recommend checking them out. On Monday morning we escaped the noise and took a trip down to Spitalfields. After a belly-full at Canteen (my new favourite place, thee best poached eggs!) we arrived at Hackett for my appointment at Murdock London. 

Murdock has featured on the blog a few times now (here, here), and knowing I was a fan of their products the team got in touch and invited me down to sample a Full Beard Re-Shape and Cut-Throat Shave. I'm not usually one for treatments but I figured I'd be in capable hands with these fellas so I thought, "let's give it a shot". This branch of Murdock is actually situated at the front of Hackett's Spitalfields store, a small but perfectly equipped space. Being one of Hackett's concept stores, I was eager to have a proper nose around - It's filled to the brim with menswear and paraphernalia from Hackett's own brand and selection of concessions, sourced from around the world.

I was warmly greeted by my Barber for the day, Sam, a proper gent. After a brief consultation we decided it was best for me to go shorter. I've had a bit of a beard for a few years now (admittedly not a very good one, it falls into the chin-fringe category. I wasn't blessed.) and I wanted a change, as I've started to grow sick of its inability be a full-on Eric Young.

Sam explained that if your beard can't quite live up to something out of Jonathan's 100 Beards, 100 Days, then you just have to make best with what you've got. Solid advice to be honest. After that I was perfectly happy for him to go nuts, after all Sam's the expert.

The first step was to trim my beard + mustache down, define a new shape and determine an appropriate neckline. We chatted about the Sam's passion for Barbering, the product range, blogging and how the partnership between these two British brands started. I was quickly put at ease and therefore thinking less-and-less about those bloody Sweeney Todd scenes. After 30 minutes of prep - Including immense smelling lotions, balms, creams and five tremendous minutes of the hot towel treatment, I was finally ready for a traditional Cut-Throat Shave!

Several Murdock products were used in preparation for the Cut-Throat Shave - Including the Daily Face Wash, Pre Shave Oil and Eye Serum. A weaker man would have drifted off by this point. After a heavy dose of traditional Shaving Cream (which I've been using for a couple of years and highly recommend for the smell alone), I was ready for the main event.

I'd never experienced a Cut-Throat Shave before, my only knowledge extends to old western films and memories of my late-grandad shaving in front of the mirror. As you can see from the images it's a very delicate operation and one which only a skilled person should attempt. Sam worked his way around my neckline, cheeks and back of my hairline in around 15 minutes and I didn't feel a thing.

Post-shave I was treated to another set of balms, oils and my choice of cologne. I went for the spicy  Black Tea, which has subtle hints of leather and tobacco. Bearing in mind this was my first experience of a proper Barber service, I was extremely impressed. My face never felt so good and I was left smelling pretty amazing for the rest of the day too. Just ask Hollie! Admittedly it might look as though I don't have much beard left but I can assure you it looked better than the previous knotty mess.

Before visiting Murdock the thought of having a grooming treatment had never crossed my mind, but it was an very enjoyable experience indeed. Sam's knowledge and passion for the craft was a big factor towards the overall experience, which I thought was worth mentioning. Combine that with Murdock's quality British-Made products + charming store interior and you're on to a real winner! Highly recommended.

Please note - I was offered this service for review purposes, all options are 100% honest and based on my own experience.

For a full list of Murdock London's current services visit here. Murdock at Hackett - Spitalfields, 75-77 Brushfield St, London, E1 6AA.

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