A Leeds barber is celebrating this morning after being shortlisted in a competition to crown Britain’s best wet shaving barber.
Phil Townend, of Leeds based Philip Nicholas beat off fierce competition from scores of other talented barbers to make the regional final, and will now go head to head with 14 other selected shaving professionals in a bid to claim the coveted Yorkshire and the Humber title of Best Wet Shaving Barber.
If Phil, 44, is triumphant in the regional heat, he will then go on to compete in the national final against seven top barbers from across the country. The event is again set to be held at this year’s Barber UK, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC in May and promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
The regional final will take place later this month, where Phil will attempt to impress judges on a number of criteria, including shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency.
The competition, organised by premium men’s grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge and the industry-respected British Barbers’ Association, is now in its third year, and promises to up the ante in a big way for 2016.
Those lucky enough to make it through to the final will be pitted against Britain’s defending Best Shave champion Luigi Caterino of The Italian Job Barbershop in Galashiels, who has since gone on to become the official barber for Rangers Football Club.
Phil said that he was delighted to have been chosen to showcase his skills in the regional heats.
“I decided to become a barber after leaving the army, as I wanted to become self-employed”, he explained.
“I never imagined that I would end up having the passion I do today for the trade, but I find myself growing to love it more every day.
“With some good experience behind me now, I’m keen to put my skills to the test, and to see how I measure up against other barbers in my region. From there, I hope to progress all the way to the final – but only time will tell! Watch this space though, as I’ll be doing my very best!”
Nick Gibbens, marketing manager at The Bluebeards Revenge, said: “The level of talent in the first year of the competition was extremely high, but our 2015 entrants managed to exceed that to an impressive degree. This time around, the bar has been raised even higher, with some fresh new faces proving a real force to be reckoned with for last year’s top contenders.
“The aim of Britain’s Best Shave is to raise barbering standards across the industry as a whole, inspiring young barbers to reach the top of their game, but also enabling experienced barbers to put their skills to the test and see how far they have really come.
