A MALVERN salon is celebrating after being named regional winners in a competition.

Malvern salon Belle Beauty are the UK and Ireland finalists of the prestigious Guinot award, Salon of Excellence 2018.

The team at Belle Beauty team was delighted to discover they had not only become the regional winner of the Guinot award, but were also one of just 17 salons in the UK and Ireland to be competing for Salon of Excellence 2018.

The news has come just a few months after relocating to a larger premises in Worcester Road, Malvern.

The award is only available to salons that are put forward by industry professionals and the top 17 salons are selected from around 1,500 salons.

As part of the judging process, Chris Gillham, managing director of Guinot UK and Ireland visited the salon in August.

Salon owner, Lucy Watkins, from Worcester, said: “We welcomed Chris to the salon this summer with his team and they were really impressed with the salon and also how beautiful Malvern is.

"During the visit I was also interviewed on camera to discuss why we should be named Salon of Excellence 2018, which was nerve wracking and slightly different to my day job. But all seems to be going well.”

It’s not the first time Belle Beauty has won a Guinot award having previously won the Crown Salon Award for 2016 and 2017 – something they are also on course to retain for 2018.

Lucy added: “We are so proud to be recognised as the best in the region – particularly after relocating the salon in April this year.

"It’s really just going from strength-to-strength.

"I’m so proud of my hard working team and it’s really lovely to have recognition for this.

“Now we are looking forward to finding out what will happen at the awards ceremony in January next year, which will take place at the Brewery in London and is hosted by Gok Won.”

For more on the salon visit bellebeautymalvern.co.uk.