Salon owners providing a ray of light for customers after dark times

The couple were at the Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena which was the target of a bomb attack.

Opening their salon was a ray of light after what they describe were dark times.

Here, in our Meet The Salon Owner feature, Chris, who is 34, tells us about working in the hair and beauty industry for 16 years, how the salon has changed since it opened in 2018 and how they value the home from home vibe.

If you would like to appear in one of our Meet The Salon Owner, Meet The Makeup Artist or Meet The Beauty Therapist features email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

Chris and Mike won the award for Best Hair Stylists at England's Business Awards 2022

What’s your full name?

Mike Houghton

What’s the name of the salon/business?

Beehive Hair Salon

What’s the address?

93 Westy lane,

Latchford,

Warrington,

WA41QY

Sleek waves

Are you the owner/manager?

I’m the owner together with my partner Chris Whitfield. I’m a hair stylist and colour specialist.

When did you open the salon?

We opened Beehive Hair Salon in June 2018.

Why did you decide to open your own salon?

We both opened Beehive Hair Salon in June of 2018, just 13 months after being at the Ariana Grande concert together in Manchester when the arena was the target for a terrorist bomb attack, hence the name Beehive. We both felt like us coming together and opening the salon was our little ray of light in what were some pretty dark times.

Customers are always made to feel welcome at Beehive Hair Salon

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

Growing up and living in Latchford meant that the salon location was super special to me as it was once the old post office where my late nanna would bring me for sweets and treats as a child. I knew she would have been so proud of me and would have loved the location of the salon.

READ MORE:

“I missed doing nails and opening a new business has boosted my confidence”

What’s your hair and beauty background?

Myself and my partner Chris Whitfield, who is 33, have both been in the hair industry for more than 16 years and we have both worked in well-known salons in and around Warrington.

Vibrant transformations

Why this type of business?

When we first sat down and talked about what we wanted our little salon to be, we knew that it was going to be a ‘home from home, no judgement, good vibes’ kind of salon. We wanted to have somewhere people could come and be themselves and leave feeling – and looking - fabulous. I can honestly say that nearly six years in, we have got that right one hundred per cent!

Tell me a bit about your salon/business. What do you do? What services do you provide?

We feel like Beehive Hair Salon has something extra special as it’s a small, local family-owned business that is run by a same sex couple. It’s built on love, run with love and for the love of our craft. We have an award-winning team here at Beehive and we pride ourselves on being the best that we can be. Chris and I brought home the regional award for Best Hair Stylists back in September 2022 at England’s Business Awards held in Manchester. We felt like our hard work and achievements were finally being celebrated when we won the award.

We also have the extremely talented Glow Makeup girls working with us in the salon who are award winning too. My amazing little sister – PolishedBeautyByChloeJane - also works at the salon offering all things nails. She is a super talented nail technician and is living her dream working alongside us in our little salon. It is definitely a family affair!

The perfect hair up

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?

When Covid lockdowns hit in 2020, things were so uncertain for us and for everyone else in the country. We spent months and months away from the salon. We couldn’t physically work so this gave us time to create our very own luxury haircare range. We brought out Beehive Haircare which consisted of several products ranging from Oh Honey argan oil to Nourishing Nectar leave in treatment. Our clients loved our new products.

READ MORE:

Meet the beauty technician with an eye for creating the perfect glow up

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

The one thing I think that sets Beehive Hair Salon apart from our local competitors is the fact that there is no drama. We are all about that one-to-one human interaction, giving our best and making people feel better about themselves.

The salon has its own product range, which was developed during Covid-19 lockdowns

Why do loyal clients return to your business?

Our clients know that our door is always open, whether it be for a chinwag, a cup of tea or a shoulder to cry on. We feel extremely blessed to be thriving, especially in the hard times we are all living in.

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your salon?

Our product range has been a huge success and we hope to keep on expanding in the future.