We got the lads together for a short interview where we asked some prime-time questions to help you understand who they are and what they are about.

Ally - 'From the moment I started cutting hair, having my shop has always been the end game. I don’t really like being told what to do; therefore, being my own boss was the only option. I’ve crawled up from the bottom and along the way I’ve made a true brother in Dan who shared the same vision as I do regarding what we want from a barbershop. Now I feel we can proudly say we’ve created an interesting yet functional space that fits our collective ethos.'

Dan - 'After 18 years in the industry I felt it was the only real way up from what I'd previously achieved, setting your own standards, ethos and goals for no one other than yourself, and achieving them feels pretty damn good, getting out of bed in the morning and know you're going to work for you, there's no greater feeling.'

Ally - 'The Tin Can Barbers' is a fully sustainable barbershop located in a shipping container off London Road in Brighton. It’s the first and only one of its kind in Brighton, and to our knowledge the UK too. Almost every bit of furniture and most of the fixtures and fittings have been in some way repurposed allowing us to create a welcoming space at a low cost to the environment as well as ourselves.
Additionally, we recycle ALL of our hair. The hair over two inches long gets sent off to the Green Wave Project in Devon to be made into mats and booms to collect oil spills in the sea. I also believe we are the first barbershop in the country to compost our own hair and we do this with all hair under two inches as this cannot be used to make anything. The compost has been made using recycled pallets and sits on the roof outside our container.
We also have a shit tonne of whiskey and love to share a drink.'

Dan - 'Firstly we go with the obvious, it's a shipping container!, secondly we'll go one better it's the only fully sustainable shipping container barber shop in Brighton, oh and also the U.K!!,
from recycling the hair with green salon collective, making sure our energy is sourced from an eco company and ensuring all our products are cruelty-free and fully sustainable
these are some of the things that make the Tin Can Barbers different.'

Ally - 'To be honest I think the only option is more tin cans…we really feel like this is something we could take to other locations and spread the idea of sustainability whilst handing out whiskey and banging cuts in a fully inclusive and none discriminatory environment.'

Dan - 'we have great plans for the future with the tin can barbers, we'd like to do the obvious and expand having other tin cans for others to run as their own ship, making an affordable, inclusive, neutral grounds to work from. but who knows, me and Ally come up with new exciting ideas for the business all the time.'

Ally - 'What’s downtime?
In all seriousness, there is always something that needs doing so I try to organise myself to get things done on specific days. I also try my best to turn my phone off on at least one of my days off to unwind. It’s tough, but we love the process and have always been believers in working hard and playing hard. It’s a never-ending balancing act!'

Dan - 'The real reality of it is, there isn't any!..., especially from the very start, you have to be everywhere and on everything, otherwise it ain't getting done. I have two kids so being efficient with time is key, making sure the week ahead is organised, is easier said than done, most of the time it's rolling with the punches and hoping all your time & energy has been spent the right way, with fingers and toes crossed that the customers will turn up, love it and return for more.'