CLAIRE Forster opened The Style Hut in Northwich Indoor Market four years ago and after a challenging few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the former hairdresser is celebrating.
The business has just been named Best Independent Shop in Northwich and Claire couldn’t be happier.
The Style Hut is the latest winner in our Best of competition taking Northwich’s Best Independent Shop crown with a victory in the voting earlier this week.
Each week, we focus on different categories to find the best that Northwich, Knutsford, Winsford and Middlewich has to offer with awards for hair, nails, beauty and fitness being given out as well as fish and chips, pies, pubs, breakfast and afternoon tea already decided.
The latest award category – Best Independent Shop – coincided with the national #ukindieday campaign, aimed at promoting small business owners at the heart of local communities.
Voting is currently taking place in the latest round of the competition with the award for Best Roast Dinner up for grabs with a closing date of midnight on Monday.
The Style Hut was named the area’s Best Independent Shop 2022 and Claire celebrated in style on a trip to London.
The 49-year-old was a hairdresser with a salon on Northwich Indoor Market but her rail of clothes proved so popular with clients that she decided to expand the business and sell more clothes, shoes and accessories instead of cutting hair.
Claire said: “I get new stock in every week in sizes eight to 22 and during the pandemic we created a website so people could place orders online and we could deliver them locally.
“We’re a family-run business and I’m helped by my husband and two sons as well as Emma Langston, who does a lot of work behind the scenes at The Style Hut.”
Claire found out she had been shortlisted for the latest Best of 2022 award when she woke up to messages from friends and family telling her she was in the Northwich Guardian.
She then took to Facebook and did a live video for her customers, talking about the Best Independent Shop award and how people could vote.
Claire is no stranger to doing Facebook Live content as her sons persuaded her to create weekly posts for her customers during the national and local lockdowns with customers being unable to visit her shop.
One nomination said: “Lovely, affordable clothes and Claire is always friendly and helpful.”
Another described it as a “hidden gem”.
The Style Hut is a ladies boutique selling the latest fashion and accessories at excellent prices.
For more details go to facebook.com/thehair.hut.56/
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