A popular family-run Ipswich salon is celebrating after being ranked among the best barbers in the country – describing it as an “amazing achievement”.
Francesco Hair Salon has been announced as a national finalist in the Best Team category at the Modern Barber Awards 2020 – the only East Anglian entry in the shortlist.
The salon, which has served generations of families in St Matthews Street, reopened after lockdown with a huge investment in equipment and a range of health and safety measures in line with industry and public health guidelines.
Owner Francesco De Lellis said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious national award and hope it’s a welcome boost in such difficult times.
“It’s an amazing achievement which is a testament to the hard work of our tight-knit team and fantastic client base. As well as having several family members working in the salon, our clients are part of our family, so we’ve been toasting them too.”
The town centre salon has invested thousands of pounds in PPE equipment for staff and clients, including hand sanitisers, masks, visors, gloves, and disposable gowns and aprons.
Mr De Lellis said: “We worked incredibly hard to reopen as safely as possible this summer, investing in new equipment, a refurbishment and redesign of the salon, and a host of safeguarding measures such as a new online booking system to control footfall and allow adequate time for cleaning between clients.
“We’ve been blown away by the support of the community who have followed the guidelines and respected each other, whilst it’s also been great to catch up with everyone again. We are one big community and we know hairdressers can have a big impact on a lot of people.”
The Modern Barber Awards is the hairdressing industry’s only dedicated awards platform.
The Best Team category showcasing the ‘unbreakable bonds and the unified strength that together make a successful business that supports and delights a community and clientele’.
The awards are currently due to take place in London, with a date to be confirmed amid the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions subject to change.
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