Malcolm King
19 August 2024, 12:53 AM
Kiama’s own Mark Foster is one of the most experienced and professional barbers on the South Coast. In his time he has mingled with the rich and famous in the fish and chip shop.
Mark is a die-hard Manchester United supporter and when he lived in Manchester, he used to chat with Gary Neville, the captain of Manchester United and David Beckham, over a spread of haddock and chips.
People come from Gerroa to Wollongong to sit in the chair and let Mark and Master Barbers Charlotte Powell and David Azevedo, practice their art.
Mark opened Premier Barbers in Terralong Street in 2007 and he reckons since he started the business in Kiama, he has cut more than 100,000 heads of hair.
“Being a part of the Kiama community for almost two decades, I have seen some of my customers go from their first haircut to starting school, first girlfriend, first car, getting jobs and starting families of their own,” Mark said.
The team create all the latest styles from the latest Amsterdam and Korean cuts, textured crops, skin fades to spiky mullets. They do beard trims, razor shaves and more.
There’s air conditioning, music, a relaxed ambiance, and white glove cleanliness.
Mark has barbering and styling in his blood. His family in England has been cutting men’s hair since 1886. He’s a 6th generation master barber working at the top of his game.
“I started my career in the family trade in 1987 and owned three salons overseas before I moved here from sunny Manchester, England.”
Mark has employed scores of young local people who want to learn a trade.
“It gives me a sense that I’m keeping the town’s economy going and growing.”
If you want to know what’s going on around town, take a seat, because all the stories come out at Premier Barbers.
“I had a chap in one time said he’d just been into a barbers that said $10.00 haircuts. He then asked me to put up a sign in my window to say we fix $10.00 haircuts.”
Premier Barbers. You’ll leave better looking.