Hairstylist takes over Grantham salon where he trained nearly 20 years ago

A local hairstylist has achieved his dream of owning the hairdressing salon where he first took his apprenticeship almost 20 years ago.

Daniel Allen enjoyed a successful apprenticeship from 2003 at Blunt on Swinegate, from where he went on to work at several other salons, also gaining experience in Rutland, before returning to Blunt in 2014 after seven years.

His return gave him the chance to reconnect with the salon and its team where he had undertaken his formative training and enjoyed working most.

Fast forward to 2022 and Daniel now owns the place he fondly calls his ‘home’.

Newly renamed as Blunt by Daniel, the salon relaunched in January 2022 and has recently been given a new interior design with Daniel’s own signature style.

Originally established in 2002 by previous owner Lee Coldron, Blunt has been a popular salon in the community with a loyal customer base.

The change came about towards the end of 2021 when Lee wanted to reduce his hours and have more flexibility with his life. Daniel jumped at the opportunity to purchase the salon and embrace a new phase in his career.

Daniel said: “It was an absolute dream come true. I have always wanted to own my own salon but having previously left Blunt and returned I didn’t really want to leave again and start somewhere new.

"This salon is very much a sanctuary for me in my work and I am really attached to the staff and customers.

“When the opportunity arose to buy the salon there was never any doubt, I had to go for it. And Lee is still here as a freelance head stylist which is great for us, with his knowledge and customer relationships.”

The salon has long supported local employment and offered apprenticeships and training programmes and this will continue to be the case, with Daniel keen to encourage young recruits.

The salon’s existing leading stylists include two former apprentices who have trained with Blunt and now form the core of the Blunt by Daniel team and Daniel is overseeing the training and development of two more staff who also started at the salon under its previous management and are keen to progress, with another new apprentice also now under Daniel's wing.

Daniel added: “I am keen also to invest time and training into existing staff so we can all grow together as a team and I want to ensure that we are welcoming new local recruits and nurturing them so they learn everything they need to know about high end hairdressing, and hopefully they will stay with us longer term as we grow.”