A CREWKERNE salon has been named the Best Nail Salon In The UK at the prestigious Hair and Beauty Awards.

The Lacquer Lounge, in Crewkerne's George Shopping Centre, opened in October 2023 and has proved very popular ever since — with bookings made as far ahead as Christmas.

Now the salon's success has won national recognition, with owner Chloe Taylor, 26, from Thorncombe, accepting the Hair and Beauty Award at the Birmingham ceremony on Saturday.

Somerset County Gazette: The Lacquer Lounge opened in October 2023.The Lacquer Lounge opened in October 2023. (Image: The Lacquer Lounge)

Somerset County Gazette: Chloe Taylor, (second from left), and her team.Chloe Taylor, (second from left), and her team. (Image: The Lacquer Lounge)

Chloe said: "I'm gobsmacked, to win Best Nail Salon in the UK. I couldn't even tell you how much it means. We had no clue until the night."

The Lacquer Lounge was started by Chloe from her mum's living room while she worked full time in the sales office of Numatic in Chard.

Chloe added: "I was working full-time at Numatic, but office life is not for me quite honestly.

Somerset County Gazette: Nail art by Chloe Taylor and her team.Nail art by Chloe Taylor and her team. (Image: The Lacquer Lounge)

"I'd always wanted to do nails and beauty at school, but I was taught to think that there was no money in it and that it was a dead-end job so I didn't pursue it.

"Then last year I thought, I don't like my job and I want to do something I enjoy so I'm just going to bite the bullet.

"I did all of the courses, my nail course with The Gel Bottle in Milton Keynes, and lash and brow course in Birmingham, then started up in my mum's living room which inspired the name The Lacquer Lounge."

Somerset County Gazette: The award-winning nails from Chloe and her team.The award-winning nails from Chloe and her team. (Image: The Lacquer Lounge)

At first, Chloe continued to work full-time but soon found that clients were asking for daytime and midweek bookings. 

She said: "I thought you know what, I'm just going to bite the bullet and I'm going to open a salon and just see how it goes. Go hard or go home right?

"It's the best thing I've ever done. We have just been so busy since the day we opened. I want to give a huge shoutout to the salon girls who have been nothing but supportive, helping me build the salon and our reputation in Crewkerne. Niamh, Lauren, Millie, Jade, Summer and Luchy, a massive thank you to you all, keep smashing it!"

The salon now has four nail technicians and one lash technician. Bookings can be made at www.thelacquerlounge.co.uk.