May 9, 2025 |
In the heart of North East London, sits an unassuming salon that’s quietly rewriting the rulebook on what a hair appointment can be. Buller & Rice, the brainchild of stylists Anita Rice and Stephen Buller, is more than just a salon – it’s a living, breathing model of circular beauty, where the mission is as clear as the cut: sustainability isn’t a slogan, it’s a system.
When Rice and Buller first met in a Shoreditch salon back in 2009, East London was buzzing with the rise of indie beauty businesses. But underneath the energy and colour, they sensed a growing disconnect between their personal ethics and the industry norm. “My personal move toward cleaner, more mindful living wasn’t reflected in my work environment,” says Rice. “And when we started looking for a salon whose ethos focused on sustainability and environmental practices, there just wasn’t anywhere that really aligned.”
The pair decided to fill that void, not with rhetoric but with intention – starting with the walls themselves. “Our favourite parts of creating the salon was sourcing innovative, sustainable materials to bring into the space,” says Rice, who cites collaborations with furniture designers like Lozi and materials from Smile Plastics as key inspirations. Think chairs made from pressed grass cuttings and countertops crafted from recycled yoghurt pots.
The name Buller & Rice came naturally. So did the space. “Someone told me of a hair salon in Newington Green where the owner wanted to step back but continue to do their clients once a week,” Rice recalls. “So I called Stephen and said, ‘Hey, wanna go look at this space with me… it’s in Newington Green.’” One walk-through later, baby Cyril (their dog) in tow, and the deal was sealed. “After the viewing I said to Stephen, ‘What do you think? Should we open a salon?’ He was quite shocked… I was like, what did you think we were doing here?”
For Buller, the move was part of a deeper life recalibration. “I knew I wanted to push forward and do something more meaningful,” he says. “The idea of going into business with Anita felt right, solid and perfectly aligned with where I wanted to go next.”
Their connection wasn’t just professional – it was philosophical. Both stylists draw from their respective upbringings for inspiration. Rice, who grew up on a New Zealand farm, speaks with reverence for seasonal eating, waste-free living and the green ethos instilled from a young age. “It still blows my mind you can get blueberries year-round in the UK,” she says. “Soon people will be so disassociated from seasonal eating nothing quite beats that feeling of having your first favourite fruit of the season!”
Buller’s Swansea roots taught him resourcefulness and the importance of community. “Nothing was wasted growing up, things were fixed, reused, repurposed. It’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to setting up Buller & Rice in a neighbourhood like Newington Green, it has that same sense of closeness and connection.”
That sense of place is pivotal. Buller & Rice isn’t a salon that sits outside the community – it’s woven into it. With three thriving locations now open – the original in Newington Green, and additional locations in Walthamstow and Wanstead – clients chat over refillable shampoos and hand lotions, exchange tips about plant-based products and playfully compete over who can keep their bottle the longest. “We are talking years!” Rice says.
That refill station has become iconic, not just as a functional feature but as a conversation starter and community hub. It offers a wide range of low-tox, sustainable hair and body products in bulk, encouraging a bring-your-own-bottle culture that has drastically reduced plastic waste across all three salons. Many clients return just to refill, often bringing along friends or family to introduce them to the system. “Clients now tell us they’re now more conscious about packaging in other areas of their lives, like skincare, food and cleaning products,” Buller explains. “It’s opened up conversations about sustainability that go beyond shampoo/conditioner.”
Alongside its environmental values, Buller & Rice offers a full spectrum of hair services – from cuts, colour and treatments to natural texture styling and bespoke consultations – all delivered with a commitment to low-tox products and conscious techniques. Populating shelves you’ll find sustainably-made products from brands like Davines, Neighbourhood Botanicals, Paper Not Foil, Pelegrims, Herbar, Oway, Bourii, FKA Haeckels and more, all for the perusing, using, shopping and refilling.
Design, too, plays a starring role. From Japanese-inspired minimalism to mood-driven playlists, scent rituals and carefully presented beverages, every sensory detail is orchestrated. “We looked into the client’s experience and the small things that would make them feel comfortable and like they were having a treat,” says Rice. As such, the mood is both minimal and relaxed, where clients often stay well past their appointment, chatting over herbal teas or soaking up the curated playlists. Surrounded by calming terracotta tones, natural wood textures, soft lighting and accents of green from thriving plants, the atmosphere feels more like a boutique retreat than a traditional salon, striking a rare balance between stylish and grounding.
Buller & Rice founders Anita Rice and Stephen Buller
Adding to its unique atmosphere, Buller & Rice has cultivated a distinctly welcoming air that reflects its founders’ love of slow living and sensory experiences. Clients are often greeted with carefully chosen herbal teas, locally roasted coffee or even a chilled glass of natural wine – a nod to the salon’s close ties with neighbouring makers and indie suppliers. The mood leans more wine bar than waiting room, with small plates occasionally making an appearance during evening events or community gatherings, blurring the line between self-care and social ritual.
And then there are the dogs. Cyril, Stanley and Yoko – the Brussels Griffons and the Chow Chow – aren’t just salon mascots, they’re emotional touchpoints. “Cyril alone has brought people in from Europe to America, a haircut was just a bonus!” Buller says. The trio have helped transform Buller & Rice into what feels less like a business and more like a home.
Education is core to the Buller & Rice mission, not just for clients but staff too. Every new stylist receives a starter pack covering everything from the salon’s ethos to its multi-bin recycling system, and the result is a troop of highly knowledgeable staff whose pure passion for hair care is enough to make you rethink your entire routine. “We don’t allow single-use plastic water bottles and have been known to give staff keep cups,” Rice says. Their in-house training days dive deep into product performance, ingredients and why conscious choices matter.
Despite their best efforts, the salon sector still grapples with systemic environmental challenges. “We spend a jaw-dropping amount on the various recycling systems we use,” Rice says. “If there were a system where businesses choosing to be more conscious were rewarded with some kind of green tax break, I think a lot more would feel empowered to make meaningful changes.”
If there’s a vision for the future, it’s one grounded in hard numbers – and hopeful experimentation. “Imagine being able to say that ‘X’ amount of haircuts helped protect the ocean by sending hair fibres to absorb oil spills,” says Rice. Buller adds, “We’re also really keen to explore new ways to reuse hair… textiles, insulation or even something totally unexpected.”
That curiosity and commitment to evolution will drive their next chapter. “We’re looking into filming some conversations with other independent business owners,” Rice shares. “This video series will be available on our socials and website, so stay tuned!” Buller nods to the importance of dialogue. “Maybe think of it as a casual chat between us and our extended Buller & Rice family… with wine and small plates, of course.”
For a salon born from friendship, community and a shared vision for a cleaner industry, Buller & Rice is proving that the future of beauty doesn’t have to cost the earth – it can nourish it.
Photography courtesy of Buller & Rice.
