The best business in Durham City has been named after a community award has come to an end.
Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the City of Durham, has awarded Vanity Hair Salon in Gilesgate her award for Durham’s Small Business of the Year 2023.
The MP asked residents of, and visitors to, Durham to nominate their favourite small business in what has now become an annual award to promote small businesses in her constituency.
After a successful inaugural year, bringing last year's winner Daisy Rose Coffee House to the attention of the Prime Minister, Mary is keen to do the same for Katie West and her team at Vanity.
Speaking about this year’s winner, Vanity Hair Salon, Mary said: “It was such a pleasure to meet Katie and her team recently to present them with their much-deserved award.
"With thousands of votes cast again for the 2023 Small Business of the Year nominees, Vanity came out on top as clear winners in the end.
"To see so much support for a local business is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Katie, Courtney, Lynsey and Georgia to make the salon a success."
She added: "Despite being in business for just over two and a half years, Katie has built and maintained a loyal customer base and is proud to own the salon in which she started her hairdressing career as a Saturday helper when she was just 15.
"Katie’s story is so lovely, and I hope it will inspire other young women and girls to follow their dreams.
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"I’m thrilled for the entire Vanity team and look forward to working with them over the coming months, much like I have with last year’s winners.”
Speaking about winning the award, the owner of Vanity, Katie West, said: “ Massive thank you to everyone that voted for the salon. It means so much to me, I was thrilled to have won this competition and couldn’t believe it.
"I’m so proud of my little team at Vanity and how far we have come in two-and-a-half years.”
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