A SALTCOATS salon has once again been celebrating success and award recognition.

Earlier this year, Abundance Hair and Beauty was crowned the best hair and makeup salon in Scotland - and entered the running for the UK-wide iteration of the accolade.

It was the latest in a line of prizes won by the business, which was set up by owner Vicky Bryce back in 2016.

With the UK finals of the Hair and Beauty Awards taking place earlier this year, three team members headed to Birmingham for the glittering awards final.

And Abundance earned a national placing of 16th in the 'spotlight salon of the year' category, adding to this after being 'highly recommended' in the best team and best salon category.

(Image: Submitted)

The prize was not earned from a voting system, with competing businesses having to make an evidence based submission to award judges, making the success even sweeter.

The accolades have not stopped there either, with individual members of the Hamilton Street team in the running at the British Hair and Beauty Awards earlier this week as well.

Vicky explained: "We all gathered in the salon on Monday night - eagerly around the laptop with a pizza night and in our comfy clothes for this one! 

"I carefully picked out our shining stars of the business and nominated them for individual awards that I felt they deserved to be recognised for. 

"Again this one was not a voting process, it was individual evidence based submission for each category judged by leading experts in the industry!

"Although as some of the evidence, we could submit any glowing reviews from our lovely customers along with experiences within our business, to show why each one should deserve their win and what sets us apart and makes them stand out from the crowd! 

"The girls went head to head with the nation and some categories had 30-40 other entries also hoping to win. We only all went and absolutely smashed it!"

Six members of the team from Abundance came away with recognition, with two women named national winners.

Alex Christie, in the employee of the year category, and Tracie Henderson, who was up for manager of the year, claimed gold awards as well as the top prize.

There were further gold awards for Abbie Vogan as apprentice of the year and Jenni Fernie for customer service excellence.

(Image: Submitted)

Silver awards were also handed out to Jade McMeechan as 'rising star of 2024', and Vicky herself for best bridal/special occasion hairstylist.

The salon owner commented: "We are absolutely blown away this year with all of our wins! Also the support of our clients, families and friends!

"I am super proud of all of the team at Abundance for absolutely smashing it! This is an experience that they and I will never forget!"

To top everything off, Vicky and her manager Tracie also graduated from 'The Salon Jedi Academy' in recent weeks.

After months of dedication and hard work the pair successfully completed the rigorous training programme, merging as one of the first certified Salon Business Pros in the world.

Salon Jedi Academy, founded in 2010 by industry expert Caroline Sanderson and joined by Carla Zebrowski in 2012, is renowned for its comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited training.

The curriculum is designed to equip aspiring salon owners and managers with the essential skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the competitive hair and beauty market.

"We are thrilled to congratulate Vicky and Tracie on completing our rigorous training program and earning the title of Level 1 Certified Salon Business Pro," founder Caroline Sanderson commented.

"By mastering our 12-step framework, Vicky and Tracie have demonstrated a deep understanding of salon business fundamentals with a commitment to excellence in customer service and team support."

Carla Zebrowski, CEO of Salon Jedi Academy, added: "Completing all modules of our program sets Abundance apart as an action-takers and implementers in the salon industry.

"We are confident that they will leverage this strong foundational knowledge to achieve remarkable success in Abundance. 

"They are now equipped with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to excel further as a salon professional they looks forward to applying their expertise to enhance the salon experience for their clients and contribute to the growth of their local community."

Vicky and Tracie commented: "We are proud to complete this training together and implementing robust business systems for our salon and team.

"From the salons beginnings in an indoor market 12 years ago to where we stand today, it's beyond what I imagined.

"The growth of our salon, team and the support from Tracie, my 'wing girl' manager, have truly been blessings. I am bursting with pride for how far we've come together."