Rachel Shuttleworth’s Nelson salon Betty-Rose Beauty Boutique beat off competition to win the title of ‘Local Salon of The Year’ at the English Hair and Beauty Awards 2024.

It’s a real feather in the cap for Rachel who last year was commissioned to produce nails for the Eurovision TV advert for the BBC, featuring the presenter Graham Norton, after her amazing talent for hand painting portraits of celebrities on nails was spotted by a scout.

And the title of ‘local salon’ is perfect for Rachel (42) as, when she opened her business, she wanted to offer something different. She said: “I wanted my salon to be homely not clinical. Friendly, open and safe for people to enjoy their experience which was one of my passions, to make people feel good.

“As a young, average girl who lacked confidence, dressed in sportswear and had never worn make-up, I always hated walking into salons. The girls were beautiful, made up, wearing nice clothes. I always felt frowned upon for not fitting in. I’m not false, I’m real and this is one aspect of my salon and the atmosphere created that my clients love.

“There may be a more casual feeling, we may go without make up, not be the best on social media and we may say it as it is but the upside to all of this is that the clients feel relaxed, normal and listened to. They know they can come in, laugh, cry, winge about their partners or unload all of their worries. What’s said in the salon stays in the salon.

“We welcome everyone, including dogs, children, LGBTQ+, punk, disabled. Everyone is welcome.”

Raised by her gran, Rachel failed her exams at school but thrived in college and successfully passed a public services course.

After working in a series of different jobs at the same time she saved up to pay for a nail course and started working as a mobile nail technician. She was so busy she decided to rent a room at the back of a salon doing nails, pedicures and waxing. Rachel followed this with more training in other areas including spray tanning and lashes before she opened her own salon in 2009. And she still continues to update her skills by attending courses and training programmes.

Since 2009 she has helped seven apprentices to qualify, employed nine staff, rented space out to four self employed hairdressers and mentored numerous students from high school and college on work experience. While covid hit the beauty industry hard it turned out to be a change in life and work for Rachel. She left her salon and created a new work space next to her home. She said: “I spent lock down knocking down plaster and creating a new space for my work at home. It’s a completely separate entity to my house but it’s brought me to life. It’s allowed me to concentrate on my work and my skills.

“I want to flourish, compete, carry on loving the world of nails and beauty and the people within it.”