TWO talented hairdressers who trained the stars of tomorrow have opened an exclusive hair salon in Northumberland. LIZ LAMB finds out more.

IN their prestigious career Nigel Meredith and Gienette Jefferson-Cobb have trained tens of thousands of hairdressers at one of the world’s top hair schools, worked on shows in London, Milan and Paris, and collaborated alongside some of the biggest names in the business.

After years forging a career in London the pair have swapped city life for the countryside and set up the Alnwick Studio, a spa-inspired hairdressing salon that draws on their wealth of experience in hairdressing.

Nigel says: “We were living a very corporate life, working long hours and travelling. It was our dream to escape to the countryside and we chose Northumberland. I am originally from Whickham, so I know this area.

“Since we opened we have a built up a database of 1,500 clients in four months. We are really pleased with how well it is going.

“Nearly 99 per cent of our clients from Alnwick would normally go to Morpeth, Newcastle and even Edinburgh to get their hair done but now they can cut down on travel time and costs as it is much more convenient to come here.

“Because of what we are bringing with our backgrounds, not just our skills as hairdressers but in training we can offer something different. It’s a salon that fits the needs of the Alnwick community. It’s not just like any other high street.

“Service is a key part of what we do and it’s going down very well.”

Gienette, who is executive technical director for Alnwick Studio, started her career on Baker Street, London in 1977, working for what was at the time one of London's leading hairdressing groups. In the mid 1980s, she specialised in hair colour, which led to her joining one of the world's largest hair colour manufacturers. This is where she met Nigel, who started his hairdressing career in Newcastle.

He said: “From leaving school until the mid-eighties I was a hairdresser but then I applied for a job at Wella where I was training students on products and colour before going to work at a major hairdressing training academy in London.”