BRIDGING THE GAP

BY JULIE BELLINGER-GIBB

Alex Burt is the founder of Teddy Edwards Cutting Rooms, one of the most celebrated names when it comes to barbershops in the South of England.

Alex started his career in women’s hairdressing in April 1995, responding to a call for apprentices in the local paper. Despite starting in the hairdressing business with little knowledge of the craft, he quickly established himself within his salon, loving the creative aspect of the business, as well as the social side

It was in his second role within a ladies’ salon that he began to struggle to motivate himself. He was uninspired by the trend for perms and hair-ups, however, when it came to men’s hair he thrived, enjoying the precise aspect of barbering.

Having discovered a passion for this niche, Alex then started working in a barbershop but wrestled with the more antiquated elements of the industry. He comments: “I couldn’t understand why barbering seemed to lack the more creative pizzazz of women’s hairdressing. So many shops were stuck in the past; to the point where they still had old 80s photos on display in the windows!”

After a year’s training at Trevor Sorbie, where he really honed his skills, Alex took this education and applied it to his own natural talent for barbering. He secured a position in a barbershop and refined this amalgamation of the two skill sets, striving to give customers all the hallmarks of the hairdressing experience within the realms of barbering.

In March 2013, Alex established Teddy Edwards Cutting Rooms, (named after his grandfather), driven by the desire to modernise the world of barbering, focusing on bridging the gap between traditional barbering and contemporary hairdressing. Alex started with a two-chair shop in Brighton, but the business has evolved to now include three shops in Hove, Brighton, and Worthing.

Alex is proud to lead the way in barbering in the South and strives to create a friendly atmosphere for both customers and staff - he wants his barbershop to reflect what he would have loved at the start of his own career and therefore offers a great environment where young barbers can hone their skills.

The shops are visually striking, and Alex emphasises the need for good customer service, carefully selecting his team as people who have similar attitudes. He now has a team of 12 passionate and talented barbers, who all bring their own unique skills and personalities to the mix to deliver an experience that has something for every man.

A past member of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Project Men, an exclusive team that showcases the best of men’s hair, Alex is an ambassador for Wahl and Mattaki scissors. His work has been featured in leading barbering magazines including Modern Barber, Barber Evo and many more, and he is known for sharing his barbering skills on stage at numerous industry events.

A finalist in the recent UK Modern Barber awards – Alex was applauded for customer service, interior and of course best barber!

Alex believes this to be the most exciting time to work in barbering: “Over the last 20 years there has been a barber boom which was a wonderful thing to be part of, however, now that that initial movement is over the fun begins! We’re really starting to witness change and development within the industry.

Barbershops are beginning to look at other ways to increase income and diversify the services that they offer such as hair colour and skin treatments. I believe that in a few years these more varied offerings will be an industry standard. I’m so excited to be part of this revolution!”

2024 sees Alex sharing his skill set in the Haircuts4Homeless 12 Steps Programme where he will teach a group of recovering addicts the craft from his Brighton base.

@teddyedwardsbarbers

@hairbyalexburt