The story of Pall Mall Barbers spans generations. It began in London in 1896, continued through more than a century of barbering, and now reaches men across London and New York. Behind that history is also a story of entrepreneurship, calculated risk, learning, and the responsibility of taking a traditional barbering name forward without losing sight of why the barbershop exists in the first place: the client.
That story is at the centre of Richard Marshall MBE’s conversation on the MenswearStyle Podcast. As Founder of Pall Mall Barbers, Richard discusses his journey in barbering, the history behind the business, international growth, men’s grooming and what it takes to develop a heritage name for a modern audience while maintaining the standards that gave it meaning in the first place.
For anyone interested in British barbering, entrepreneurship, men’s grooming, or the story behind Pall Mall Barbers, the conversation goes far beyond haircuts. It explores what it takes to inherit a long-established story, build upon it, and continue making it relevant to the men walking through the doors today.
From a Young Barber to Building Pall Mall Barbers
Richard Marshall’s relationship with barbering began long before he became responsible for Pall Mall Barbers. His journey started in the barbershop at a young age, learning the trade from the ground up before developing his career in London and eventually becoming the owner of the business that would grow into Pall Mall Barbers as it is known today.
That journey matters because businesses with long histories can sometimes appear as though they simply arrived fully formed. In reality, every generation has to decide what should be preserved, what needs to evolve, and where new opportunities should be pursued. Richard stepped into a business with history, but the challenge was to make that history meaningful for another generation of clients rather than simply preserve it as something belonging to the past.
A Barbering Story That Began in 1896
Pall Mall Barbers traces its origins to the Pall Mall Toilet Saloon at 27 Whitcomb Street near Trafalgar Square in 1896. The business began in a London very different from the city men experience today, yet barbering already had an established place in a gentleman’s routine. Pall Mall Barbers’ own historical records continue to trace the brand back to those beginnings.
Transport has changed, working life has changed, fashion has evolved, and technology has transformed how men communicate and conduct business. Yet the reason for visiting a barbershop remains recognisable. Men still have meetings to attend, careers to build, weddings and occasions to prepare for, journeys to make, and everyday standards they want to maintain. That connection between grooming and preparation is what keeps barbering relevant from one generation to the next.
Taking Heritage Forward Without Living in the Past
One of the most important parts of Richard’s story is the balance between respecting Pall Mall Barbers’ heritage and continuing to move forward. Heritage should never mean refusing to change. A barbershop with roots in 1896 cannot serve the modern man by pretending that his lifestyle, expectations, and grooming habits have remained unchanged.
Instead, heritage provides a foundation. Pall Mall Barbers describes its current direction as Modern Heritage, connecting its long-established barbering story with the changing needs of today’s clients. The objective is not to recreate the past, but to understand what made those standards valuable and apply them in a way that remains useful now.
A client today may be moving between an office, a presentation, a flight, and an evening event in the same day. His haircut needs to work around that reality. His beard needs to remain manageable. His grooming routine needs to fit the time he actually has available. Heritage has value when it helps create a better experience for that man.
The Barbershop Experience Still Matters
The conversation also explores the changing world of men’s grooming and why the barbershop experience remains important. Men’s grooming has expanded considerably, but the fundamental value of the barber’s chair has not disappeared. A haircut, beard trim, skin fade, or wet shave is still ultimately about helping a client maintain the appearance he wants for his own life.
The service itself is only part of that experience. The haircut needs to continue working once the client leaves. A man may need a style that remains manageable through a full working day, a beard that does not require constant adjustment, or a straightforward routine that helps him recreate the desired finish at home.
That makes communication important. A client does not need to arrive knowing every technical barbering term. He can simply explain what he wants to keep, what has become difficult, and what he needs his appearance to handle. Perhaps the sides become too heavy after several weeks, the fringe drops during the day, or the beard loses definition around the jaw. Those practical details help the independent barber understand the result the client wants.
From the Barber Chair to Everyday Grooming
The Pall Mall Barbers story has also developed beyond services through men’s grooming and styling products. The principle behind that progression is straightforward: an independent barber can create the haircut in the chair, but the client has to maintain it the following morning and throughout the weeks between visits.
That is where home grooming becomes part of the wider experience. A suitable styling product can help provide texture, control unwanted movement, add volume, or make a haircut more manageable. Beard products can support conditioning and everyday control. The purpose should always be practical. Products should support the result the client wants rather than add unnecessary complexity to his routine.
The modern man does not need a bathroom filled with products he does not understand. He needs clarity around what a product does, how much to use, and where it fits into his routine. The aim is not to turn the client into a barber. It is to give him useful tools for maintaining his chosen appearance between visits.
Building Pall Mall Barbers Beyond London
Another important part of Richard’s journey is the growth of Pall Mall Barbers beyond its London roots. What began as a London barbering story eventually developed into a wider business, including an international presence in New York at Rockefeller Center.
International growth brings a different challenge for a heritage brand. London and New York have different cultures, neighbourhoods and rhythms, but the modern professionals moving through both cities share many of the same grooming priorities. They want their appearance handled efficiently; they want results that work beyond the barber chair, and they want grooming to support rather than complicate a demanding schedule.
A professional leaving a barbershop in Westminster and another leaving Rockefeller Center may be heading towards very different streets, but both need their haircut or beard to work through meetings, travel, dinners, events and everything else the day brings. The location changes. The client remains the centre.
Working With Recognised Global Brands
The podcast also touches on Pall Mall Barbers’ wider collaborations and partnerships over the years, which the episode description associates with organisations and brands including Hugo Boss, GQ, the BBC, Mastercard, UEFA Champions League, the NBA, Jack Daniel’s, Google and H&M.
These projects demonstrate how barbering can operate beyond the traditional shop environment. Men’s grooming naturally intersects with fashion, sport, business, entertainment and major events because personal presentation is relevant across all of them. Yet working alongside recognised names does not change the fundamental purpose of the service. The man receiving the grooming remains the person who matters.
Whether the setting is a major event, a corporate collaboration or an ordinary appointment in a London barbershop, the objective remains practical: help the client prepare for what he needs to do next.
Listen to Richard Marshall MBE on the MenswearStyle Podcast
For anyone interested in Pall Mall Barbers, British barbering, men’s grooming, entrepreneurship and the challenge of growing a heritage business internationally, Richard Marshall MBE’s MenswearStyle Podcast conversation provides a closer look at the journey behind the name. From the Pall Mall Toilet Saloon in 1896 to Pall Mall Barbers today, the story has travelled a considerable distance, but heritage is not a finish line. The clients walking through the doors today continue to shape the next chapter.
130 years young. Still moving forward. Keep Sharp, Every Day.
Stay Connected with Richard Marshall| CEO and Founder of Pall Mall Barbers
Richard Marshall’s journey shows that consistency, craft, and service can take you from the back of a barbershop to Windsor Castle.
If you have ever searched “barbers near me” and walked into a Pall Mall Barbers shop, you are part of this story.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
Keep Sharp Every Day
