The Chapel
The Chapel is a UK private premium hairdressing chain operating five UK salons and one in Switzerland, offering personalised cut, colour, and styling services via a pioneering time-based pricing model introduced in 1997, serving affluent individual consumers across South East England, London, and Verbier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersKent, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Chapel does
The Chapel is a privately held UK premium hairdressing salon chain operating five UK locations (Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Marlow, Horsham, Islington) and one international salon in Verbier, Switzerland. Founded in 1997 by Amanda and a co-founder, the company pioneered a time-based pricing model that abandons fixed service menus in favour of personalised appointment pricing based on stylist experience level (hourly rates £60-£110) and time required, supported by complimentary "Conversations" consultations.
The business is built around a curated retail salon experience in converted historic buildings (a 19th-century Baptist Chapel, an Old Trinity Church, an Old School House, a former bar), positioning each location as a sanctuary away from high-street noise. Core services include personalised haircuts, colour services using Redken Shades EQ and Colour Gels, styling, blow dries, and specialist curl, coil, and hair-loss support. All colour services require a Colourstart MHRA-licensed digital patch test (£15 lifetime passport). The underlying operational technology stack comprises the Phorest online booking platform, Stripe payment processing with PCI Level 1 compliance, WhatsApp business messaging for guest communications, and an Enjovia-powered gift voucher channel.
The Chapel monetises through three streams: usage-based hairdressing services (the primary revenue driver), retail sales of professional product lines (KEUNE, Oway, Redken, Dyson Supersonic), and gift vouchers. Customer segments are horizontal across individual men and women in affluent South East England, London, and Verbier catchments, including wellness-focused guests seeking a self-care sanctuary experience and guests requiring specialist services for hair loss or chemotherapy support. Marketing is conducted via owned blog content, organic social (Instagram), local SEO, WhatsApp messaging, and word-of-mouth referral. The legal entity, The Chapel Hair & Spa Limited, is registered in England and Wales with no disclosed external investment or parent company.
The Chapel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Chapel
- Legal name
- The Chapel Hair & Spa Limited
- Website
- https://thechapel.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Chapel is a UK private premium hairdressing chain operating five UK salons and one in Switzerland, offering personalised cut, colour, and styling services via a pioneering time-based pricing model introduced in 1997, serving affluent individual consumers across South East England, London, and Verbier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Chapel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hair Salon Services
- NAICS
- Beauty Salons (812112), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Haircutting & Styling Services (HSALAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hair Coloring & Highlights Services (HSALAAAE), Professional/Salon Haircare (Backbar & Retail) (CRABABAK)
Keywords
Where The Chapel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kent
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Chapel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Hairdressing Services: Time-based hairdressing services including cuts, colour, styling, and treatments. Pricing determined by appointment duration (hourly rates from £60-£110 per hour depending on stylist experience). New appointments include complimentary consultation.
- Hair Care Products: Retail sales of KEUNE, Oway, and Redken products for home hair care. Stylists provide personalized product recommendations during appointments.
- Gift Vouchers: Digital and physical gift vouchers available for gifting salon experiences. Managed through third-party Enjovia platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Stylist appointments from £60/hr to £110/hr based on experience |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Colourstart patch test passport |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Chapel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Chapel operates a chain of premium physical hairdressing salons offering personalised haircuts, colour, blow-dries and styling priced on a time-based model rather than by service type. It also retails professional haircare products (KEUNE, Oway, Redken) and requires the Colourstart MHRA-licensed allergy alert test prior to colour services.
Product overview
The Chapel is a UK-based premium hairdressing salon chain offering personalised hair services across five salon locations. The core offering centres on bespoke hairdressing services—including cuts, colour treatments, styling, and blow dries—delivered through a time-based pricing model pioneered in 1997. Colour services use Redken products with mandatory Colourstart patch testing for safety. The Chapel also retails professional hair care products from KEUNE and Oway, alongside gift vouchers for gifting experiences. Services are tailored through complimentary 'Conversations' (consultations), and the company employs specialist stylists for curls, coils, and hair loss support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Chapel Time-Based Hairdressing Service Personalised cut, colour and styling services delivered across five UK salons (Tunbridge Wells, Horsham, London/Islington, Marlow, Sevenoakes) and one international salon (Verbier, Switzerland), priced on the time spent with the stylist rather than by service type. Targeted at individual consumers seeking a premium, consultation-led salon experience.
- Colourstart Allergy Alert Test An MHRA-licensed patch test required prior to any colour treatment, used by The Chapel to screen clients for allergic reactions to colour products. Available to any client booking a colour service at a Chapel salon.
- Personal Hair Consultation
Quantifiable outcome
- Some guests visit only 3 times per year due to time-based pricing making appointments more affordable
Companies that use The Chapel
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Chapel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
The Chapel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and primary.
- ColourstartcoreMedical-grade patch test system licensed by MHRA for PPD allergy testing. Replaces traditional blob test with digital passport system. One-off test creates lifetime passport valid at any Colourstart salon globally. Required for all colour services.
- KEUNEprimaryHair care and styling product partner. KEUNE products used and recommended for home hair care routines.
- OwayprimaryOrganic hair care and styling product partner. Products include Sunlight Serum, Colour Protection Veil, Sunway After Sun Hair and Body Bath.
- RedkenprimaryColour product partner for Shades EQ and Colour Gels. Used for all colour services due to customizability, multi-tonal results and shine.
- StripecorePayment processing provider with PCI Level 1 compliance. Handles card tokenization and secure storage for appointment deposits and cancellations.
- PhorestcoreOnline salon booking platform providing booking pages for each salon location with integrated payment and customer management.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Chapel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hershesons: Hershesons operates a multi-location premium UK hairdressing brand with salons in London and beyond, using personalized consultation-led service. Directly comparable to The Chapel on premium positioning, multiple UK locations, and relationship-based service model.
- Josh Wood Colour: London-based premium colour specialist with a focused, atelier-style service offering. Comparable to The Chapel on premium colour specialization, relationship-led service, and use of Redken and other professional product houses.
- Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa: Chelsea-based premium hairdresser and spa offering a multi-service luxury beauty experience. Comparable to The Chapel on affluent London clientele, premium price points, and integrated hair-plus-wellness positioning.
- Taylor Taylor London: Premium London-based boutique salon group with multiple East London locations, distinctive interior design, and a focus on personalized experience. Closely comparable to The Chapel on premium positioning, sanctuary-style environments, and independent group scale.
- Trevor Sorbie: Long-established premium UK hairdresser with branded salons and a focus on personalized colour and cutting services. Comparable to The Chapel on premium positioning, founder-led brand heritage, and specialist colour expertise.
- John Frieda Salons: Premium London-based salon group with multiple locations and a celebrity stylist legacy. Comparable to The Chapel on premium positioning, multi-location London presence, and personalized service ethos.
- Daniel Galvin: Premium London colour specialist with a long-established celebrity clientele. Comparable to The Chapel on premium colour services, high-end price points, and MHRA-compliant patch testing standards for colour safety.
Broad incumbents
- Toni&Guy: The largest UK-based global salon chain, offering haircuts, colour, education, and product lines across hundreds of locations. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same UK hairdressing category but operating at national scale rather than The Chapel's boutique premium niche.
- RUSH Hair: National UK salon chain with broad geographic coverage and mid-to-premium price positioning. Comparable as a UK-wide incumbent in the same hairdressing category but with materially greater scale and broader price-point coverage than The Chapel.
- HOB Salons: Established UK salon chain with multiple locations across the country and broad price-tier coverage. Comparable as a national incumbent in the same hairdressing category but with broader mass-premium positioning rather than The Chapel's boutique premium niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Chapel social profiles
Digital presenceThe Chapel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Chapel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Chapel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Chapel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Chapel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Chapel
What does The Chapel do?
The Chapel operates a chain of premium physical hairdressing salons offering personalised haircuts, colour, blow-dries and styling priced on a time-based model rather than by service type. It also retails professional haircare products (KEUNE, Oway, Redken) and requires the Colourstart MHRA-licensed allergy alert test prior to colour services.
Is The Chapel a public or private company?
The Chapel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Chapel founded?
The Chapel was founded in 1997. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Chapel based?
The Chapel is headquartered in Kent, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Chapel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hairdressing Services are the primary driver. The others are hair Care Products and gift Vouchers.
Who are The Chapel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hershesons, Josh Wood Colour, Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, Taylor Taylor London, Trevor Sorbie, John Frieda Salons and Daniel Galvin. Broad incumbents are Toni&Guy, RUSH Hair and HOB Salons.
Does The Chapel have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Chapel.
What industry is The Chapel in?
The Chapel's product category is Hair Salon Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSALAAAD, Haircutting & Styling Services, with a secondary code of HSALAAAE, Hair Coloring & Highlights Services. Its NAICS code is 812112.