Rochdale barber crowned winner of Glasgow Great British Barber Bash

A Rochdale barber has been crowned the winner of the barber battle at this year’s Glasgow Great British Barber Bash.

Serwez Khan, who owns SVS Barber on Yorkshire Street, Rochdale, now holds the title for both the Glasgow and Manchester competitions.

Earlier this year, Serwez won the Manchester contest, after beating over 70 opponents - and the coveted 'fastest fade trophy' - after having 20 minutes to create the best fade and overall haircut.

The procedure at Glasgow was the same with barbers given 20 minutes to create the cleanest, sharpest fade.
 

Read more: Rochdale barber crowned winner of Manchester Great British Barber BashPublished: 15 May 2022

He said: "All praises are to God, The Lord of Glory and Honour, Lord of Majesty, and Generosity. God gave me everything and without him I am nothing.

"I also want to give credit to my family, my clients and everyone that has been with me from the start of my career, as without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

"There is nothing quite like the feeling of victory. When I won the first time in the Manchester Barber battle the feelings I experienced can only be described as electric, like a bolt to my body and brain that was like an instant rush of dopamine.

"I felt like I had achieved something great, something I had worked long and hard for, and when the award was handed to me, I felt like I had conquered the world. This is a feeling that could be described as dangerous, but I also believe it is a feeling that can motivate, that can ultimately encourage one onto the path of greatness.

"I spent a lot of time reflecting from the win in the Manchester battle.

"They say people learn from mistakes and failure, which is inherently true, but I believe you can also learn a great deal from winning. Knowing and studying how you won is important, so you can endeavour to repeat the process and once again achieve victory.

"The other advantage of previously winning is that I visualised my original win in my head, and I feel it is because of this, that I attracted positive thoughts throughout my mind. This is what gave me that extra push I needed to gain confidence in my ability and produce greatness once again.

"The place was loud and lit. You could literally feel the adrenaline rushing in and out of the place, amplifying the vibrations and energy. It is always a huge contest, attracting participants and spectators from all areas of the industry.

"In all honesty, winning a second time and back-to-back is insane! I don’t think it has ever happened before in this competition, so I am proud to have achieved this.

"As always, it was very competitive and extremely tough knowing there was a huge amount of talent on display.

"People come from all over the world to enter this insane competition and for myself to win it again, I am truly forever grateful and humbled by my success in this competition."

Serwez holds an NVQ level 2 in hairdressing after qualifying at Hopwood Hall College. From there, he built his experience barbering before opening his own shop around four-and-a-half years ago. He has over 10 years of experience in the trade.

The Great British Barber Bash is an annual contest which takes place in major cities such as Amsterdam, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Five judges whittle down the competition to the top 10, then the top three, having scrutinised every detail from competitors, including celebrity barbers and other competition winners. Competitors must create the cleanest fade within the allocated time limit, with the overall styling and finished look of their model also taken into consideration.

The winner receives a trophy, £1,500 worth of prizes and a feature in The Barber magazine - plus bragging rights.