A barbers shop in Haworth was crowned the best barber in Yorkshire at an awards ceremony last night.
Industry Barbers, on Mill Hey, Haworth, attended England's Business Awards event, at the Marriot hotel in Leeds, after receiving nominations for the best barber in West Yorkshire. However, to their surprise, they came out they also came out on top overall across the region.
Industry Barbers Owner, Joe Slack, 31 said: “It was brilliant, we’re chuffed really. We were up against some really talented barbers and big shops, we didn’t think we stood a chance but we put our heart and soul into it so I think we’ve earned it.”
“The nomination came as a shock, I didn’t really know what it entailed when it came through the post, I’ve never been nominated for something like this before. But when someone came to the shop and asked us some questions it got quite real.”
The competition involved a mystery shopper going into the barber’s shop and analysing aspects such as the customer service.
Joe, who despite working as a project manager in construction for many years, has always had a “passion” for the barbering trade.
He said “I’ve always cut hair, more as a hobby than a job and I used to work at a barbers shop in my spare time. It is my hobby and passion. We’ve got a solid team of like-minded barbers really.”
Joe originally opened The Grooming Room, in Haworth but two years later he moved location and opened Industry. Next door to the barbers is Industry Barista, which is a licensed coffee bar.
Joe added: “We opened Industry Barista for our walk-in customers to take the pain out of waiting. They can come into the shop and grab a pager, and then wait in the coffee bar and enjoy the surroundings with a coffee or pint without waiting in a busy shop. I think that’s what made us stand out.”
Joe said that from that they’ve grown “from strength to strength”, and even developed a booking app that has “gone down well.”
When asked what the future might look like for Industry, Joe said: “We’re just happy to be here and winning awards and have our business’s still intact after the pandemic.”
“Personally id like to go on and do training at colleges with people, and go onto education, and just push us all as a team and get everyone to where they want to be.”
The barbers have also got a range of their own products including aftershaves, tooth-whitening kits, and hair products.
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