Afflecks Palace: All the new shops opened on the third floor – including vegan dumplings and reiki healing room

There have been a string of new openings on the third floor of Afflecks Palace recently, offering everything from vegan dumplings to reiki healing and adding to the ecclectic mix of traders at Manchester’s multi-storey labyrinth of independent businesses.

All the new stalls will be moving into the area formerly occupied by Doll Parts nail studio, which has “graduated” to its own store on Port Street. This will therefore be the first time that this area of Afflecks Palace will be permanently open for trading on Sundays.

Afflecks’ general manager, AJ Martyn, said: “We couldn’t be happier to see our family of independent, creative traders here at Afflecks expanding. Following the success story of Doll Parts who graduated from the building and into their own premises, we had the opportunity to reimagine a large section of the building and split it into several smaller units. This allowed us to offer more opportunities for new small businesses, give greater variety for our customers and restore the area back into the bustling thoroughfare of small shops Afflecks has always been known for.”

If it’s been a while since you last visited Afflecks Palace, here is a quick roundup of the new stalls and what you can expect from them.

Desert Island Dumplings

This new food spot is a Simpsons-themed vegan dumpling spot. You may have previously seen their pop-up stall at popular foodie spots around Greater Manchester, including Stretford Food Hall and GRUB, but this will be their first permanent base. Some of Desert Island Dumplings’ Simpsons features include a vintage game cube to play The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Springfield Elementary school desks and a chalkboard, as well as painted clouds, like the show’s opening credits.

Desert Island Dumplings will be open 10am-6pm every day, serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the breakfast menu items include the Legendary Breakfast Dumplings, filled with garlic mushrooms, vegan sausage, hash browns, and beans, as well as the Overnight Blueberry Dumplings, served with syrup, jam, or icing sugar. Lunchtime favourites include the OG Cheezburger dumplings, which contain soy and pea protein patties, griddled onions, vegan cheese, house relish and gherkins; and the Salt and Pepper Chikn dumplings, which has soy chikn chunks with blend of sesame, garlic, salt and pepper seasoning with fresh bell pepper and onion.

Tokyo Go

Fans of anime and Japanese culture will be pleased to know that there is a new kawaii-themed shop opening in Afflecks. Tokyo Go will sell fashion, accessories, stationery and other lifestyle products, and they are also officially licensed to Sanrio items, which includes brands like Hello Kitty and My Melody.

Dub Merchant

If you like roots, dub, ska and all the other reggae subgenres, head down to the Dub Merchant, where you will find records as well as memorabilia that celebrates Afro-Caribbean and African-American music, including t-shirts, bags, and posters.

Higher Vibe Tribe

Anyone curious about meditation should book an appointment with Higher Vibe Tribe, a wellbeing brand which offers two different experiences: the Pyramid Meditation Room and Reiki Treatment. Both of these are designed to aid relaxation, reduce stress, and stimulate the body’s own natural healing abilities. Prices range from £20-£60, depending which treatment you choose and duration. They also sell a selection of handmade vegan candles, books and other accessories. More information about Higher Vibe Tribe can be found on their Instagram page.

Sea92

Sea92, founded by footballer Keano Deacon, are taking over the old City & Bloom spot selling one of the latest health trends – sea moss, which is believed to help improve thyroid function, digestive function and improve energy, among other things. Sea92 offer a selection of sea moss products in different forms and infusions. All of their sea moss comes from the St. Lucia and is sun dried and soaked in alkaline water with fresh lemons to preserve all the minerals and nutrients.

City & Bloom

Plant shop City & Bloom are moving into a bigger unit on the third floor. They have a wide selection of indoor plants and one-off, handmade homeware items. The expansion into a larger space means that they will also have more room for their regular workshops.