A barber's shop is celebrating after scooping an award with 50 per cent of the vote.
Maverick Barber Lounge in Peacehaven is the proud winner of The Argus's 2022 Barber Of The Year title.
The competition celebrates the best barber shops in the region, recognising their hard work and commitment that keep customers going back time and time again.
Doe Mehmet, creative director and senior barber at Maverick, said: "We are overwhelmed by the response people had to our nomination.
"What we do is actually a subtle balance between science, art and expectation, so receiving this recognition feels fantastic."
The shop in Central Avenue opened on July 4, 2020, which Doe dubs "independence day", marking the moment Covid restrictions were relaxed, meaning barbers could return to work.
"We didn’t necessarily pick the easiest time to open a business anywhere in the world in 2020, and we've have worked tirelessly to improve the client experience of going for a haircut," he said.
"I spent the first lockdown sleeping in the building, renovating the space in anticipation of the demand post lockdown, and I was right.
"We got off to a flying start. I’ve had it in my head for a long time that the barbering experience needed a shake up and that many of the great aspects of the industry have been lost over the years.
"I've never really fitted in a salon, and never really fitted in a barber shop, so this is a safe space where we can experiment.
"I’ve been overwhelmed by the response, reviews and feedback and I look forward to many more years of being at the coalface of our little company championing innovation."
Pip Browning is the newest member of the team at Maverick, and is a senior stylist and graduate barber. She said: "I am really proud to be a part of an amazing team and ever-growing business.
"To have been nominated was one thing but then to go on and win makes us all even prouder when the industry has been through some tough times over the past few years."
Maverick has just launched a new online booking system and hopes to open another branch in December.
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