The Barbering team at Bridgwater & Taunton College held Bridgwater’s first ever barbering event and Barber of the Year competition at The McMillan Theatre recently to celebrate local talent.

The event started with a student showcase of Level 2 and Level 3 Barbering students, from both the Bridgwater and Taunton campuses. The work presented by the students was impeccable, especially considering that some of the barbers only began their training in September 2018. Judging this year’s student competitions, was Cole Mehrlich, barber at Dreamcuts Barbershop in Taunton and former Barbering student at the College. First place of the Level 2 competition was won by Ahdam Brown, followed by Charles Maclean in second place and James Macdonald a close third. Barber of the Year for the Level 3 cohort was awarded to George Goodall with Lewis Pearson and Millie Eke in second and third places respectively.

Level 2 BTC Barber of the Year winner, Ahdam Brown

Level 3 BTC Barber of the Year, George Goodall

The main event of the evening was the Barber of the Year competition, where barbers from Bridgwater and the surrounding area were given an hour to create their signature creative cut and finish in front of the audience. Guest judge Helen Grant from styling products UK awarded third place to Joe Bevan from EK Barber Co. in Bridgwater. Josh Fisher from Josh Fisher Hairdressing in Bridgwater was presented with second place. James Edmiston, barber at Victoria Street Barbers in Burnham-on-Sea was crowned Barber of the Year 2019.

BTC Barber of the Year 2019 – James Edmiston, Victoria Street Barbers, Burnham-on-Sea

The event not only celebrated the incredible barbering talents that can be found in the area, but also raised money and awareness of national mental health awareness charity Mind.

Other activities throughout the day included barbering and threading demonstrations from the College team, product stalls from industry suppliers Andis and Bluebeards Revenge, DJ sets by one of the College’s Music Technology students, Gus Varabauskas, and event photography by photography student Lydia Bell.

Richard Bell, Course Leader for Barbering at Bridgwater & Taunton College, and organiser of the event, said,

The Barber Bash was designed to give our learners the opportunity to compete in a competition environment, gaining valuable experience whilst demonstrating their skills. The event has allowed us to build connections with local barber shops and helps to promote the ability of our learners, whilst acting as a platform for local businesses to shine.

Laura Blackmore, Head of Hair, Beauty, Health and Early Years at the College, added,

The event was a great success!  Our learners were able to demonstrate their skills and build confidence in a competition environment. We were thrilled to have the support of industry professionals who really inspired our learners.  I am really proud of the whole team for all of their hard work to make this event happen. We look forward to making our Barber Bash 2020 an even bigger and better event!

View all the photos from the event here.