Sorbet shuts London salons blaming UK’s “inferior” beauty therapist training

Sorbet has shut its London sites, blaming a tough trading environment and “ different” working culture for the closure.

The South African salon chain, which first opened in the UK in 2015 ceased trading from January 25, closing its sites in Cr ouch End, East Finchle y, Muswell Hill, Mill Hill and Temple Fortune. In an interview on South African radio station 7 02’s The Money Show, Sorbet founder Ian Fuhr said he was pulling the plug because of the “very, very difficult ” trading environment as well as the work ethic, stating it “is a little different to ours. Wes truggled with the culture.” Fuhr also blamed training standards for the lop , adding:

“The education of beauty ther apists [in the UK] is also inferior to that in South Africa, which is quite interesting.” He admitted he could have been more proactive in addressing the issues but said that, in the end, the monthly cost of funding the business in pounds became prohibitive.

Commenting on the s tory, Clare Rogers, owner of The Treatment Rooms in Bright on, agreed with Fuhr: “Colleges take note. You’re f ailing the students as the y leave college with distinction grades but s till need to be completely retrained,” she said. Following the closures, Fuhr has resigned from Sorbet/L ong4Life, the venture tha to wned the UK salons but is independent from L ong4Life, which acquired the Sorbet South Africa Gr oup in 20 17. The UK closures won’t affect the busines s’s 20 7 salons in South Africa.