Janet Maitland Hair Excellence is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, an incredible milestone for a hairdressing business.
Founded by the late Janet Maitland, the first salon opened in 1979 after she returned to Durham after a stint as a hairdresser on a Greek cruise line. Originally called Raffles, the salon was new and exciting for Durham, as Janet had trained in London and wanted to bring something different to the Northeast.
Peter McDermott, Director at Janet Maitland recalled: “When the salon first opened, there were queues outside the door as clients waited for their appointments, whilst inside every single seat was taken.”
The salon’s reputation grew which led to the opening of a second salon in Hetton Le Hole in 1996 and a third salon opened in Bowburn in 2017.
Peter continued: “In between all this Janet even found the energy to open a salon in Puerto Banus – an adventure but also a headache! A testament to the salon, we have retained many team members over the years, especially Sandra Snowdon who joined Janet just after she opened the first salon, Lisa Price who became our Hetton salon manager and Tori Taylor who heads up the team at the Bowburn salon.”
Some key highlights for the salon group from the last 45 years, include Janet becoming an Ambassador for Schwarzkopf Professional’s charity programme, Shaping Futures. Janet was honoured to work with young disadvantaged people in India, Jordan and The Philippines, giving them a future in hairdressing rather than them facing a life on the streets. Janet’s proudest moment was when she won Director of the Year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards 2018, the first solo woman to win the award.
Other highlights include being named top in the country for training apprentices along with Jaguar and Rolls Royce, leading Janet to advise education ministers and appearing on a Radio 4 documentary about apprenticeships.
The salon group experienced devastating heartbreak in January 2021 when Janet sadly passed away. To mark 45 years in business and to honour Janet’s impact on the hairdressing community, the salon has created a new collection titled, Legacy. The Legacy collection is a celebration of Janet’s career and achievements in her hairdressing journey, showcasing a modern twist on some classic hair styles.
The team will also be coming together to celebrate Janet’s legacy and remember her fantastic career, her sense of fun and her wicked laugh later in the year.
Peter added: “When I lost Janet in 2021, I had no idea how I would cope, keep the salons going and face the future. Without the team I have I wouldn’t have. With Sandra, Lisa and Tori’s superb guidance we have made it to another milestone and my gratitude to them cannot be overstated.”
So, what does the future hold for Janet Maitland Hair Excellence?
Peter said: “For the moment all I can do is reflect on what a brilliant woman I was lucky enough to meet and who was daft enough to marry me. She was everything you would want a hairdresser to be – professional, caring, a fantastic trainer with a real soft spot for young people and those who struggled either professionally or with mental health issues.
“It was my privilege to have her in my life – just for not long enough. The last 45 years in business? I think Janet would have said ‘Strap yourself in, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!’”
For more information about Janet Maitland Hair Excellence, visit www.janetmaitland.com