Stoke-on-Trent entrepreneur celebrating 10 years in business

The immigrant from Zimbabwe spoke after recent unrest which saw riot police on the city’s streets become a topic of conversation in the barbers’ chair.

“If you look at my staff, they are all from different cultures and our customers as well,” Mr Chax said.

He and his family made Stoke their home in 2002, when he was eight years old.

“They have always told me I can achieve anything through hard work,” he said.

In 2014, while studying sports science, Mr Chax was also learning barbering from the only black barber in his area.

When the owner of Stoke Barbers became unwell and closed his shop, he realised there was a gap in the market he could fill and opened his first shared barber shop in Hanley with funding from The Prince’s Trust.

In 2017, he branched out on his own and continued to expand his brand to include selling merchandise.