Newbury barber in national finals of wet shave competition

A NEWBURY barber will be battling other contenders in what promises to be a cut-throat competition for the title of Best Wet-Shaving Barber in the South East. After beating off fierce competition in the heats, Matthew Cooke, aged 27, of Legends...

A NEWBURY barber will be battling other contenders in what promises to be a cut-throat competition for the title of Best Wet-Shaving Barber in the South East.

After beating off fierce competition in the heats, Matthew Cooke, aged 27, of Legends barbershop, Bartholomew Str-eet, goes head to head with 14 other wet-shaving professionals in a bid to snatch the title. Mr Cooke, who took part in the competition last year (2014) said: “It’s great seeing traditional wet-shaving methods coming back into favour, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the competition for the second time. This time, I’m hoping to get a bit further, and I think my skills have developed enough to get me there.”

The regional final will take place in April at a selected Salon Services store, where Mr Cooke will attempt to impress judges with his skills, which will include shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency. If he triumphs, he will go on to compete in the national final against seven top barbers from across the country, at the Barber UK competition at the Birmingham NEC in May.