Leeds barber ‘proud’ to be nominated in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2024 despite numerous setbacks

Barbershop owner Lorraine Kellett has been in the hair industry for two decades.

The 38-year-old began her career shortly after leaving secondary school but said she never envisioned herself staying in the industry for this long and eventually owning her own business, Tonic Barber Shop in Lower Wortley.

Now in the running for barbershop of the year at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2024, which will welcome all those excelling in the field to a glitzy event in Birmingham this June, Lorraine, originally from Armley, reflects on the journey that has brought her this nomination. 

Lorraine said: “It's amazing. I just think it's so exciting to have come this far in your career and then have some recognition like this. I just feel really proud."

The barber worked at a number of different venues throughout her career and managed her friend’s barber shop before deciding to open her own five years ago.

She said: "I felt like I had outgrown it. And then my husband was like, 'why don't you just start from your own?'.

"I never thought I would be clever enough, to be fair. I thought it would be really hard."

The couple put any doubts aside when they stumbled across the property the barbershop is now based in, on Lower Wortley Road, and decided to invest their all.

Much like Lorraine thought, the journey was far from easy. Starting afresh with no clientele was a huge risk, Lorraine added. 

Fortunately for the couple, a barber shop nearby announced closure and its clients quickly poured into her shop. This was short-lived as Covid-19 put another strain on the shop.

Lorraine began doubting whether the business would be able to bounce back and whether her clients would find her again post-pandemic.

Lorraine added: "I was due to get married that year, and I was having to spend my wedding savings on bread and milk.

But once the shop reopened, following a few changes such as scheduled appointments, the shop was busier than ever. 

Lorraine credits the success of her business during this time, and ever since, to her customers. 

She said: “I love my customers. It's like a little family, which is crazy. You go through everything with your customers, like weddings, divorces, babies. 

“It's just really exciting - and that's probably the most rewarding thing about being in front of your own business."

In August 2022, a car crashed into the front of the shop. Returning from her honeymoon in Mexico, Lorraine was devastated to see the state of the business she worked tirelessly for.

Only a few months later, in November, a man being chased by the police "took the shop front out completely".

Lorraine said: "That was just horrific. I just sat and cried - my little shop had been driven in again. We were back up and running again within 24 hours, thankfully. 

"Ever since then, it's just been thriving really. I've had all these setbacks, but I've just kept going so I'm really proud."

Thinking back to how her career started, Lorraine believes she took a “gamble”. 

She added: “I just went for it. And then the more I got into it, my confidence grew and I just thought, 'I can do this, I can have my own shop'. Like, 'what's stopping me?'

"I think when you're young, it's quite daunting and you just think you'll never be there. Looking back, I don't know why I ever doubted myself, to be honest."

And now, Lorraine couldn't "imagine doing anything else" with her life.

She said: "When you realise you are passionate about something, you will just keep going. Like you don't want to admit defeat or anything. I think I was born to be a barber and hairdresser.”

Find out more information about Tonic Barber Shop via its social media channels.