Where it all began.

I actually signed up for barbering course to get myself into Australia, and fell in love with the trade furthering my studies to ladies, and recognising the entrepreneurial opportunities, it’s funny how things work. But I never intended on being a hairdresser.

This led us to become the original boozy hipster barbers. We were actually the top purchasing ‘13 guns’ beer nationally, just for some perspective of how much beer we were giving away, this beer was served in Oneil’s & pitcher and piano. This period of our careers was quite the hoot.

I moved from trendy East London, and George, the energetic Cowley Road native, saw a gap in the market for premium gents’ hairdressing. This was long before the Turkish barbers' boom, back when barbering was still respected as a fashionable craft.

Both of us earned our Ladies’ and Gents’ qualifications in London before jumping at the opportunity to set up shop in sleepy Woodstock.

It didn’t stay sleepy for long…

Woodstock Barbers quickly became the top destination for men’s grooming in the Cotswolds, with loud indie music, swearing, heavy religious debates, and philosophical discussions adding to the boisterous atmosphere.

With a strong community spirit, we threw ourselves into local life, forming rugby and cricket teams, hosting charity events, and raising over £15,000 for local causes.

We understood early on that the key to people’s hearts is creating a supportive network, a nurturing environment for both staff and clients. Some of our proudest moments have been on the sporting field, especially when we beat the fire service, and absolutely smashed the police (that one, in particular, I enjoyed). To everyone who contributed thank you.

Five years on, we expanded to Marston & Eynsham, still offering premium barbering but noticing an influx of unqualified, lower-skilled competitors. The quality of men’s haircuts was declining, and we needed to adapt. That’s how HARE was born—our move into the female market.

Still staying true to our ethos of a no-nonsense, walk-in service, we started investigating the gender price imbalance in hairdressing.

We quickly realised that women were paying a premium for a service that, technically, is often easier than gents’ barbering.

Sure, blow-drying can be time-consuming, but is it really necessary? Do women need to look like they’re off to the theatre every time they get their hair done? We saw an opportunity for affordable, efficient hairdressing—without the unnecessary fluff.

At the same time, as we were defining our direction, I was traveling through Holland in my 1994 Rover convertible, King of the Hipsters, right? That’s when I stumbled upon a unisex salon in Zandvoort. If you haven’t been, it’s beautiful—wooden shack-like beach vibes, boutique restaurants, and an abundance of ridiculously attractive Dutch people. But be warned: if you're under six foot, your feet won’t touch the ground when you use the sit-down number two. That was quite the shock.

That trip sparked something. I discovered a salon in Zandvoort was offering a no-blow-dry service, and this inspired me to make the blow-dry optional and isolate the services as we do today. With heavy use of Google and a few late-night brainstorming sessions, we realised that salons were overcharging for unnecessary services, pushing clients into time-consuming washes and blow-dries they didn’t always need. This time and money saving, sustainable approach became the foundation of HARE Studios.

And so, the journey continues.