Beauty and the best: salon’s top award

AWARD joy . . . from left, Jean-Francois Mondin director, Guinot Paris; Lucinda Jade Simpson; Valerie Simpson and Ros Grace, director Guinot UK

A beauty salon in Grotton is celebrating after being crowned the best in the UK and Ireland.

Val Simpson and her team from the Face and Body Shop beat off competition from 50 other top salons to claim the Guinot Crown of Crowns award.

Guinot has more than 1,800 salons in UK and Ireland but Val’s ecstatic team walked away with the premier award at a ceremony in London.

They beat off entries from top London salons to claim the prize which is worth £5,000 and includes an all-expenses paid five-star weekend in Paris and a visit to the Guinot laboratories.

The award is given to the salon with highest standards in training, client comfort, ambience and retail displays.

Val said: “We are all still in a state of shock.

“I was astounded — it’s such a prestigious honour. And it is particularly gratifying that we beat off strong entries from top spas and London-based salons.

“It is a real achievement to win from a small village in Saddleworth. We are honoured to have been given such an outstanding award.”

A year ago, the Face and Body Shop, which employs 20 staff, scooped the accolade of the Guinot Crown Salon of the Decade.

Val added: “These awards reflect the hard work and dedication of all the staff and the loyalty of customers.

“We have been trading now for more than 12 years and to receive an award that represents a decade of achievement means an awful lot — here’s to the next 10 years.”