Fast-track barber Ryan is a cut above

A Sutton apprentice barber with just six months experience beat cut-throat opposition to win a national award.

Ryan Key’s traditional take on hairstyling was judged to be the best in the country when he won the British Barbers’ Association junior Barber of The Year Award last weekend.

Ryan, 20 of Alfreton Road has travelled to Sheffield each day to work after he clinched his dream job in January.

And this week his dedication and talent paid off when he collected his industry gong at the awards held in Newport, Wales.

Former Ashfield School student Ryan, an apprentice at Savills barbers on Devonshire Street, said: “I am over the moon - I can’t believe it. I can’t get my head around it it was a real shock.

“Quite a few at work entered - we all went down at the weekend to see what would happen and we all did really well.

When I knew I had won it all got quite emotional.”

He says he has been cut out for the job all his life: “It is something I have always wanted to do ever since I was young.

“I used to go to Savills for my own hair cutting.

“I got talking to the owner Jonathan Davies and told him I was interested in learning.

“I started helping out, he offered me a work trial and we took it from there.”

Owner Jonathan said: “We are all massively proud of what Ryan has achieved.

“He travels from Nottinghamshire to Sheffield every day and is very committed to his job. He has a great future in the industry.

“Ryan was up against junior barbers, some of whom were nearing the end of their course and had been training for 18 months.

“The British Barbers’ Association award is a special one because entries are judged from thousands sent in from around the country online. “It is not just a panel of judges.”