A DINAS Powys barber is celebrating after being shortlisted in a competition to crown Britain’s Best Wet Shaving Barber.

Sean Sweeney, of Sweeney’s barbershop on Castle Drive, beat off fierce competition from a number of other talented barbers, and will now go head to head with 14 other wet shaving professionals in a bid to claim the coveted regional Wales title of Best Wet Shaving Barber.

If Sean, 32, triumphs in the regional heat, he will then go on to compete in the national final against seven top barbers from across the country. The event is set to be held at the first ever Barber UK at the Birmingham NEC in May, and promises to be bigger and better than last year’s hugely successful debut.

The Wales regional final will take place in April at a selected Salon Services store, where Sean will attempt to impress judges on a number of criteria, including shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency.

The competition, organised by premium men’s grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge and the industry-respected British Barbers’ Association, is now in its second year, and following the unprecedented success of its 2014 debut, is set to be bigger and better for 2015.

Sean said he was confident that he would perform well in the regional final, and was hopeful that he’d make it all the way to the end of the competition.

“I’ve been a barber since the age of 13, so I know that I’ve got the skills to give my opponents a pretty good challenge," he said.

"I specialise in wet shaving, and my clients are always praising me for my work. With a name like Sweeney though, what would you expect?”

The winner of the competition will land the coveted title of Britain’s Best Wet Shaving Barber, walking away with £500 worth of The Bluebeards Revenge grooming products and merchandise.

Nick Gibbens, marketing manager at The Bluebeards Revenge, said: “The level of talent in last year’s competition was extremely high, and this time around, the bar has been raised even higher, with some fresh new faces proving a real force to be reckoned with for last year’s top contenders.

“The aim of Britain’s Best Shave is to raise barbering standards across the industry as a whole, inspiring young barbers to reach the top of their game, but also enabling experienced barbers to put their skills to the test and see how far they have really come.

“Figures showed that the number of barbers performing cut-throat shaves had jumped by a whopping 50 per cent in 2014, and the number continues to rise steadily as we see wet shaving making its way firmly back into favour.”