Port Talbot Wellbeing & Beauty Salon Celebrates Awards Success after Pandemic Struggles

A wellbeing-focused beauty salon, The Bronzing Bar, is celebrating after receiving a string of awards.

The revolutionary concept salon is the brainchild of Company Director Catherine Griffin. Catherine has spent most of her career teaching and working in mental health support services and along the way identified that aside from mainstream support services/charities there is nowhere else for people to go to just feel good about themselves – and it was with wellbeing in mind that The Bronzing Bar was created.

The Bronzing Bar is a one stop shop offering sunbeds, spray tans and a wide range of beauty services – but the experience doesn’t stop there.  The focus is very much on support and mental wellbeing as well as making clients feel good about their appearance. Clients are welcomed with massive doses of positive energy and wellness support the moment you walk through the door.  The salon welcomes clients to find peace in the salon’s positivity reading area, take a sip from their wellness menu and encouraged to leave beautiful positive messages for others who may be struggling on the positivity blossom tree.

Catherine explains:

“At The Bronzing Bar, we don’t believe in providing simple treatments. We provide a holistic whole person experience no matter which service clients choose.”

The Bronzing Bar opened in July 2020, and like many other businesses the salon has battled numerous business challenges due to the pandemic – alongside the company director facing huge personal family losses, creating an extremely tough and challenging 18 months for a business that was barely established when the second wave of the pandemic struck.

Catherine credits the survival of the salon to “perseverance, determination and hope” which she believes has pushed the salon through the challenges to thrive, being crowned Best Tanning Salon 2021 and Best Customer Experience 2021 at the prestigious Salon Awards.

Usually the salon awards are regional awards, however due to a last minute rule change The Bronzing Bar was judged on a national scale, making the award wins even more impressive, and in addition to winning, the company were also finalists for The Peoples Choice Award, Best New Salon and their Brow Artist was also finalised for the title of Best Brow Artist Award.

Additionally, The Bronzing Bar has been named as finalists in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2022 – they await the announcement of the results later this year to see whether they will be adding to their trophy cabinet!

After the struggles and challenges, it’s great to see a local business with a positive mindset proving that you can come through the toughest challenges and thrive – a message they share with their clients who come to relax, be pampered and feel better.