A LLANBEDR business has been shortlisted for the Welsh Hair and Beauty Awards 2021.

Studio 58 has been shortlisted for Hair Salon of the Year and Most Wanted Salon of the Year.

Owner Sophie Collins, who established the salon in March 2019, is delighted.

The award nominations come at a tough time for the industry, but Sophie and her staff worked hard to keep going.

Looking back, Sophie said: “The first year of running the salon was very hard, learning how to manage my staff, learning about the clients and the back end of the business and, to top it off, I was expecting my first child in March 2020 which made it more complicated and was very unexpected.

“I went on maternity leave at the end of Febuary and had my little boy on 1 March 2020.

“Then we had to close due to Covid and lockdown. It was a very hard couple of months we were very grateful to get help from the government.

“During lockdown we used our time wisely. We worked on our website and helped our clients maintain their hair at home with homemade videos. We were receiving messages on social media regarding home cuts, colouring, or because someone had run out of products. We then went on to offer a drop-off service.

“We also invested a lot of time in creating our very own branded hair and beauty products which has been a great investment and our clients love.

“We also worked on our new booking system where you can book online with us but, more importantly, via our very own app.

“We reopened in July and welcomed everyone back, taking all Covid precautions to make sure our clients felt safe.

“We were glad to be back, but unsure whether we would shut again. We did, a week before Christmas, and we didn’t reopen until March 2021!”

Sophie added: “It’s been a very tough but productive year for us but we made it.

“The hard work and commitment to keep Studio 58 running paid off because we are finalists for two Welsh Hair & Beauty Awards.

“We have worked so hard to get to get to where we are and couldn’t be prouder of our achievement. We are putting Llanbedr on the map.

“We would like to say a big thank you to all our clients who waited patiently for us to come back to work, but also for their support in Studio 58 over the last couple of years.”

The award winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony in Cardiff on 5 December.