Two stylists who chose Farnham
The Establishment Hairdressing opened on Downing Street, Farnham, in 2013, founded by Ross and Claire - two stylists who could have opened a salon almost anywhere and chose here on purpose. Ross had co-owned a salon in Farnham back in the early 2000s, so a good deal of his clientele already lived locally. Just as importantly, both he and Claire saw Farnham as an up-and-coming town, one they believed would keep growing rather than stand still.
Downing Street itself mattered too. It's a street of fiercely independent businesses, with a community feel that other high streets simply don't have - a natural home for a salon that was never going to be part of a corporate chain. Ross and Claire now live at the top of the hill above Farnham Park and call it their forever home: one of the prettiest towns in the area, full of independent coffee shops and places to eat, with low crime and friendly people.
Over a decade on, it's the people who've kept them here as much as the town. Long-standing clients - "some real characters," as Ross and Claire put it - are relationships built over ten-plus years in the chair. As they'll happily tell you, what happens in the salon stays in the salon.
Ross
Ross's career began in London in the 1970s - over 50 years of hands-on experience shaped by design, art, fashion and music. He's been nominated Southern Hairdresser of the Year twice and UK Art Team of the Year once, and was a L'Oréal Colour Trophy finalist for the South. He specialises in seamless texture: styles that work whether they're worn straight or with movement. His expertise is all precision cutting, no matter the texture - a steady hand refined over decades behind the chair. A self-described non-conformist retro Mod, Ross co-founded the salon's client-first, consultation-first approach around one simple idea: the connection that happens when stylist and client see the same vision.
Claire
Claire has spent over 30 years at Kao Professional Hair, the parent company behind Goldwell, KMS, Kerasilk and Varis, and currently holds the role of Commercial Director of Education for Kao Europe alongside running the salon. Her path has taken her from salon stylist to global haircare educator to European commercial education leadership - educating salons, leading shows and events, and visiting salons around the world, bringing back the best of what she sees. That's part of why the team includes international stylists; it happened organically. Her early access to industry trends means clients here get, in her words, "the best of the best." Her philosophy for the salon in three words: Strong, Visionary, Nurturing.
Relaxed, but never unprofessional
Ross and Claire describe the atmosphere they've built as "a relaxed, non-intimidating but never unprofessional atmosphere" - somewhere for creatives to be understood, nurtured, and to grow at their own pace. That philosophy runs through the whole salon, from how the team talks to clients to how they train each other, and it's borne out in the results: The Establishment has been a BHA (British Hairdressing Awards) Finalist, entered three times and reaching the Southern Counties final twice - the UK's only industry-wide recognition and the highest accolade in British hairdressing. The team has also placed in the UK Top 4 at Goldwell Color Zoom, an international competition open only to salons that work with the Goldwell brand, involving the whole team - for some, their first competitive shoot.
The salon has now been trading continuously on Downing Street since 2013. Ross and Claire's ties to Farnham run well beyond the shop floor: they support the Farnham Lions Club Advent Raffle and other local charity events, provide haircut vouchers to help local schools and football teams fundraise, and have recently joined the Farnham BID (Business Improvement District) AGM, with plans to get more involved supporting it.
"The whole salon had a great, relaxed atmosphere. A really lovely experience, we will definitely be back!"
Not just colleagues.
Genuinely good mates.
Come meet them properly
01252 820 238Meet Coco & Louie
No story about The Establishment is complete without Coco and Louie, the salon's two French Bulldogs. They joined the family together in early Covid, not long after Ross and Claire's beloved cat Marmalade passed away at 23. In the early days, they'd come to work with Ross, settling in behind baby gates on the top floor, and gradually became informal "therapy dogs" for the whole team. These days they're mostly based at home with Claire, who's moved more towards home working, but they still visit the salon, and the team visit the house too. Coco plays football to a genuinely high standard and has even been approached about screen work - though she isn't keen on being taken to the salon and will jump straight onto Claire to avoid it. Louie, true to form, is famously food-motivated and will happily go with anyone holding a treat.
It's a fitting note for a salon that's dog-friendly through and through - clients regularly bring their own dogs along to appointments. If you'd like to know more about who you'll actually be sitting with, meet the full team, or check our FAQs for anything else you're wondering about before you visit.
Come and see for yourself
Ready to meet the team?
Book online in a couple of minutes, or give us a call - we're at 20 Downing Street, Farnham.