A North Yorkshire barber tells Jenny Needham his rather convenient salon aims to be a cut above the rest

Plants or people, Dan Kilvington-Mason likes nothing better than providing a good trim and tidy-up.

He first became a barber 30 years ago and has plied his trade in salons and freelance in his home town of Richmond and further afield, but turned his hand to gardening when he moved back to the area in 2005.

Plants are undoubtedly a passion then – one he shares with his mother – but Dan feels now is the time to concentrate on beards rather than borders once again.

“Alongside my garden business, I’ve been working from home and providing a mobile barbering service for a couple of years now, but as men's grooming has become such a popular industry, now feels the right time to open another shop,” he says.

The name of that shop is The Men’s Room, very apt as it is in the building which used to serve the residents of the North Yorkshire town as a public convenience; more recently, it was the town’s tourist information office.

Dan is not expecting long queues at his new salon, though. Not due to a shortage of customers, but due to the fact that, unlike other barber shops, he will be offering an appointments system and staying open until 7pm. “Many of our existing clients are busy people so they don’t want to spend their Saturday morning sitting in a barber shop queue,” he says.

The salon at the corner of the Friary Gardens will be offering a full range of treatments, including massages, facials, manicures, waxing services and beard trims, with a range of products from Dapper Dan

Dan will be joined in the business by wife Bev, who also runs a successful events company. The couple, who have been married for 20 years, have three daughters, and are looking forward to keeping the whole family happy at their new venture.

“There’s a comfortable waiting area with complimentary drinks and customers can enjoy a game of darts or play on the Xbox,” says Bev. “We also provide toys to keep the kids entertained.”

The Mens Room, Friars Corner , Victoria Road, Richmond, DL10 4DW

T: 01748 850255

M: 0784 3446793

W: the mensroom.co

Open: Tuesday-Friday, 1pm-7pm; Saturday, 9am-2pm