South Shields barber to go head to head with the best in the UK for coverted industry title

The 42-year-old beat off razor sharp competition to secure his place in the final round of the prestigious industry competition.

He will travel to Birmingham where he will pit his shaving skills against seven other regional winners from across the UK.

Allan, owner of Stoney’s Barbershop in Laygate Lane, narrowly missed out on the finals last year after finishing ninth in the overall standings.

The barber, who started his career as an apprentice hairdresser at Saks, impressed the judges on a number of criteria during the regional contest of Britain’s Best Shave 2018, held at East Durham College, including shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency.

He said: “Barbering is my passion and I love the whole service. Traditional shaving now is a daily part of my routine at work. I’ve also been lucky enough to teach students at South Tyneside College to NVQ Level 2 and 3 on a part time basis.

“I’m really looking forward to representing the North East at the national final and hopefully I can bring the title back to the South Shields.”

The two-day barber show takes place at the Birmingham NEC on May 20 and 21. The final takes place inside the boxing ring and is expected to attract hundreds of spectators throughout the day.

Now in its fifth year, the annual competition, run by industry watchdogs the British Barbers’ Association and male grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge, is fast becoming the most coveted competition of the barbering industry.

Nick Gibbens, spokesperson for The Bluebeards Revenge, said: “Each year we’re blown away by the level of talent out there, and this year we’ve had a record number of entries. What this shows is that competitions like this, along with the good work of the British Barbers Association, help to drive up standards in the barbering industry – that’s the overall objective.”