Meet Sara

I’m Sara Rigby-Holmes, proud owner of 5 On The Square. I have the pleasure of directing a close family of uniquely talented individuals here in our beautiful salon on Cheltenham’s Imperial Square.

I grew up in Cheltenham and have many treasured memories of the town, from my school days to my grandmother’s daily walks in Imperial Gardens, just yards from the salon steps.

I spent the noughties in London where I enjoyed a dynamic sales, marketing, and finance career in the world of 5-star luxury hotels. Working with The Savoy Group, I regularly stayed at The Savoy on the Strand and Claridge’s in Mayfair, and learnt not only successful business skills, but acquired an appreciation for the luxurious personal touches and exceptional customer experience they offered.

Returning to Cheltenham I used everything I’d learnt to set up a salon which was completely unique and unlike anything the town had ever seen. Just like the boutique hotels of my past, our clients ‘check in’ to the reception, make themselves at home with a cappuccino in the lounge, enjoy meticulous attention to detail and special extras throughout their time at the salon.

20 years have now gone by since the salon opened, and we remain Cheltenham’s Boutique Hair Destination and a thriving contributor to the local area. I am proud to be part of this creative and prosperous community and will always call Cheltenham my home.

Giving back

Working in the heart of Cheltenham gives us a lot of joy, and we recognise how fortunate we are to be based here. This means that we are committed to giving back to the community that supports us, helping local charities and fellow Cheltenham businesses whenever, and however, we can.

We love to work with local suppliers who provide amazing, high-quality products, from our plants to our nibbles, and we regularly showcase the rich source of talent in Gloucestershire, gifting our clients with samples from organic cookies to locally sourced spirits.

Sara regularly offers what time she can to try and help vulnerable parts of society, both here and abroad, volunteering as a Magistrate in Cheltenham and Gloucester and travelling to India as part of her commitment to children’s charity Oscar-foundation.org.

Our Philosophy

In numerology the number five represents creativity and change, two inspiring principles that sit at the heart of our journey into a new era of exceptional hairdressing. Five is also the number of our address on Cheltenham’s prestigious Imperial Square; an integral part of our history as the town’s most welcoming, illustrious, and celebrated salon.

We are proud of our heritage but, more than this, we treasure the loyalty and support of our wonderful clients. You reward us with your trust, warmth, and laughter and, in return, each one of us takes pride in providing an exceptional standard of care, with outstanding results whenever we see you.

Thank you to our clients

Whenever we promote local causes, we are always deeply touched by the generosity of our clients who are always so keen to donate what they can – thank you, the impact you’ve made to the lives of those in need over the years is immeasurable.

Our planet

As well as striving to source everything we can locally, we are committed to continually decreasing the impact we have on our planet. We religiously recycle and choose environmentally friendly packaging and products whenever possible, and we are always looking for new ways to work in a planet-friendly way.