As the journalist visited the high street in Sedgley, a quiet ancient town in the West Midlands between Wolverhampton and Dudley, of the United Kingdom, he found the place dull on that wintry day except for the Turkish barber shops. He observed this as an immigrant to the UK, intrigued by the influx of Turkish barber shops across the country. He was on a mission to locate the town with more barber shops than any other. After extensive research, he came across an article about Sedgley, which had around 21 barber shops at the time.
Turkish barber shops were found to be ubiquitous in various regions as the traditional English barber service was overtaken by the males’ grooming ritual offered by Turkish barbers. They evolved from classic English barbering to provide more luxurious services, including a unique skin fade haircut. The rapid rise in popularity of Turkish barber shops in the UK lies in the immigrant history of Turkish barbers who ventured into England in the 1950s in search of skilled labor.
The journalist’s conversation with Halil Ismail revealed the history of Turkish barbers in the UK, dating back to his father and uncles, who are believed to have opened the first Turkish barber shop in Britain. Their thriving business in the East End of London has led to many others opening similar businesses. However, this popularity has led to new challenges, such as competition from other Turkish barbers and the need to maintain authenticity in an increasingly crowded market.
The transformation of English barber shops to maintain their customer base has been attributed to rebranding with historical connections to British barbers’ traditions and recent efforts to embrace British culture, even appealing to blokes who prefer football over lavish grooming. In the expanding market, a third-generation Turkish barber in London, Koran, voiced his concerns about the changes in his neighborhood as commercialization encroached on the original character.
The story of burgeoning Turkish barber shops spreads beyond the UK, with enclaves of them popping up in Ireland. Enes Göregen, a Turkish barber from Antakya, is one of the shop owners in Mullingar, Ireland. His plans include expanding his business to offer a broader range of grooming and beauty services. Despite the growing competition, his immigration has led to an influx of family members eager to follow his footsteps, demonstrating the dream of a new life abroad.
