Revolution Barber Shop in Kirkcaldy named among best in Scotland

The High Street barbershop, run by Mark Reynolds, was named 5 Star Barbers of the Year: at the Scottish Beauty Industry Awards at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow.

Mark said: “We hit the jackpot on this one. Best Five Star Barber Shop in Scotland. I can’t think of a more prestigious award to get.

"We’ve won retail awards before that we’re proud of, where we’re maybe going up against different types of business, but this one is in our industry.

“We were the only shop from Fife, and we were up against some really gorgeous shops from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"I Googled some of the other competitors, about 10 other shops and all very strong candidates.

"There were some proper mahogany places with people in ties, not a rock and roll barber shop like us.

“We had to prove a little bit of why we deserved to win and submit stuff to show what we do.

“So we bombarded them with stuff we do in the shop and outside, like the time we helped Nicola Sturgeon cut David Torrance’s hair for charity.”

The Kirkcaldy MSP famously grew his hair long before having it cut at the Scottish Parliament in 2019, with the proceeds of sponsorship going to Maggies Centre, and Mark took the clippers after the First Minister nearly got carried away.

Revolution have also been behind several beach clean-up events, helping to beautify various sections of the Fife coastline.

Staff at Revolution were initially nervous about getting to the award ceremony, with issues around public transport prompting Mark to look at alternatives, which meant the gang arrived in style, almost by accident.

Mark added: “We were worried about the buses and trains after all the recent stuff going on so I looked at taxis for ten people.

“It was only after looking into it that I realised it wouldn’t cost us a whole lot more to upgrade, so for about £150 more we arrived at the ceremony in a limo with champagne. We went in style, and that was only out of basic economics.

“The speech I made on behalf of everyone was simple: ‘A barber is just a barber, but to make an elite shop, it requires a solid staff and an even better clientele, I got lucky’.”

As ever, Mark has one eye on the future, with the possibility of opening more shops in the area.

“We’re going to keep pushing forward,” he said. “Hopefully we can grow and maybe open another shop in somewhere like St Andrews, with a similar setup – a rock and roll barbers.”

A Spokesperson for The Scottish Beauty Industry Awards 2022 said: “The winners reflect the creativity and talent that flows within the profession.

"These specialists inspire others when it comes to the big and competitive world of aesthetics.

“The Awards provided a platform to thank those that deliver high class services, making sure clients are left with the best of impressions.

“The winners lead the way in providing innovative treatments and are role models for the rest of the beauty world.”

“We would like to congratulate all finalists and winners for their amazing achievements.”