Tamworth's Ella Bache salon wins award

TAMWORTH’S Ella Bache salon only recently celebrated its first birthday but did so with some huge recognition under its belt. 

The girls employed at the salon in Centrepoint travelled to Sydney for the annual Ella Bache Awards recently, after beauty therapist Laura Holmes was named one of 12 finalists in the Beauty Therapist of the Year award. 

Salon owner Courtney Ray said she knew Laura had been nominated and made the decision to travel to the awards thinking it would be a good experience for her team. 

“We went down and watched Laura do really well in the awards,” she said. 

“Being such a young store it was nice to be able to meet some other people and share with the girls what the company is all about.”

Eventually, Laura was named in the top three of the Beauty Therapist of the Year award. 

“It was a huge achievement,” Mrs Ray said. 

Before moving to work at the Tamworth salon when it opened in June, 2011, Laura had worked as a beauty therapist in Armidale – she was shocked to be named a finalist in the awards. 

“I was really surprised to even be a finalist, to be named in the top three was wonderful,” she said. 

That wasn’t the only shock though. 

“We didn’t know we were up for the Outstanding New Business of the Year Award,” Courtney said. 

“We were just enjoying the night and there to celebrate with Laura and meet some of the other members of the Ella Bache family.”

The New Salon of the Year Award is only presented to one new Ella Bache Salon, including those incorporated in David Jones stores across Australia. 

“It was a huge surprise to us to be in the running, let alone actually win the award,” she said. 

Before opening the salon last year Courtney had been a at-home-mum. 

She decided to established the Ella Bache Salon when she was ready to come back to work.

“I had worked in Ella Bache in Port Macquarie and I really enjoyed it, I thought Tamworth would benefit from a salon,” she said.