Award-winning hairdressers are quite at home in an old pub in Rawtenstall. Rebekka O’Grady visits to find out more

Great British Life: Victoria Jones at Tufties Hair and BeautyVictoria Jones at Tufties Hair and Beauty (Image: Archant)

To the unobservant eye, The Rams Head in Rawtenstall still looks like an 18th century pub. In fact, people have been known to walk into the building, thirsty for a pint, only to back out sheepishly once they’ve realised they’re in the reception of the award-winning Tufties Hair and Beauty salon.

Victoria Jones and her partner Jonathan took over the building on Newchurch Road in February 2014. An 18 month renovation saw the dilapidated inn transformed into a modern salon, complete with beauty rooms upstairs. Many of the original features from the Grade II listed building still remain, from the stained glass windows in the massage rooms to the iconic clock on the exterior of the pub – which has been fixed and restored.

The salon has won many awards, including the Great Lengths Salon of the Year and five Rossendale Business Awards. However, they were delighted to learn that this year they had been shortlisted in the prestigious Hairdressing Journal British Hairdressing Business Awards, among the final six salons nominated in the Salon of the Year category.

‘We put ourselves forward, but never thought anything of it,’ said salon director Victoria, who lives in Clayton-le-Moors. ‘Jonathan asked me if I had heard anything as they were announcing nominees on Twitter. I went through the post, but of course rifling through them there was nothing there. I just felt flat.’

Great British Life: Victoria Jones at Tufties Hair and BeautyVictoria Jones at Tufties Hair and Beauty (Image: Archant)

Only one letter remained, a piece of post that Victoria had earlier written off as junk mail. ‘I was convinced we hadn’t got through, so I opened this letter only to then realise what it was. I was so ecstatic.’

Tufties was the only salon in the final six from the north of England and many of the others were internationally recognised businesses. ‘There we were, little old Tufties, in with all the big ones. We have worked really hard to get where we are so it was amazing to be recognised alongside the likes of celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie.’

Although the salon didn’t take home the award, they’re hungry to try again next year. ‘It was such a boost for everyone to be a finalist, so we are going to enter again bigger and better for the 2016 awards. We want to continue going strength to strength, and put Rossendale on the map. Many of the salons mentioned at the awards have celebrity clients, but that doesn’t matter to us. All of our clients are celebrities to us.’

So what makes the perfect hairdresser? Victoria believes it’s that personal touch. ‘Although we want to expand, we wouldn’t want to lose that community feel. It’s important to get to know the client as soon as they walk in and make them feel comfortable.’

It’s not exactly how you see it in the movies though, the client investing their darkest secrets while sitting in the chair. ‘You do have a good chat and they tell you certain things, but it’s hard to talk about anything personal in a public salon. All the gossip goes on in the beauty rooms upstairs!’

www.tufties.com @Tufties