Meet the 'quirky little place' that could be named the best in York

THE final finalist in The Press Best Barber or Hairdresser 2024 competition has been revealed.

The Lounge, Gillygate, is one of 10 finalists in the contest, after readers have nominated hundreds of favourites on an online voting platform.

Readers will now be able to vote for their Best Barber or Hairdresser 2024 by picking up copies of the The Press newspaper until July 6, with the winner set to be announced on July 15.

Each copy of The Press in the coming days will feature a short profile on each business and why it thinks it deserves to be voted number one in York.

Ben and Lou of The Lounge, Gillygate (Image: Supplied)

After receiving the news that they've made the final: co-owner Ben said: "We are so thrilled that we’ve been nominated in the top 10, which is mainly because we have the most amazing supportive clients.

"It’s all thanks to them we are still doing what we love and they have put us in the top.

"Our salon is not just a hair salon it’s a community for all to come and see us in a safe place.

"We're not the typical clinical looking salon, we're a quirky little place that makes all our clients feel like they are having their hair done at home.

"All of our clients come into the salon and meet other clients while having their hair done - sometimes it becomes a social coffee morning gathering."

Lou and Ben have a combined 30 years experience and have worked together since opening in 2012.

Ben added: "We have faced a lot of challenges in the last 12 years and we are still facing challenges now within our salon but we are still thriving through the passion of hair.

"We offer a full range of different types of hairstyles from a shaved head to a mullet to the perms to blonde balayage.

"We love experimenting with different colours from our rainbows to the darkness of blues to the bright bright Phoenix red coppers - we just love to experiment and our clients love it."

Ben put forward his case to be voted the winner.

He said: "All of our clients love coming to The Lounge and they always feel so welcome and even new clients always feel like they’ve known us for years when they’ve only been to the salon once.

"We get a lot of feedback from clients saying how affordable we are and that we’re not charging ridiculous prices that some salons do in York especially now with the rising living costs.

"It will be a lovely way to celebrate our 12 year anniversary on July 6 by celebrating being a top hair salon in York."