Banging his own drum

Ahmet Faruk Vural is finding out what his right arm's for at his job in a Walthamstow pub. Although nowadays he's known as a "Bar Associate"

I’ve been working at The Drum since September 2009. Before I worked here I worked for the company which does the catering for Wembley and the Emirates Stadium.

I’d been drinking in The Drum for a few months and I decided to ask the manager for a job. I filled in an application form and the next day he asked me if I could start working in the kitchen at six o’clock the next morning.

I worked there for three months helping the chef by doing things like putting meat under the grill and loading up the dishwasher with dirty plates. Then they decided to move me out of the kitchen and I started collecting glasses and now I work behind the bar.

I’m a Bar Associate which involves serving drinks and food. I also set the tables and clean them when people have finished eating.

Sometimes I work in the evening and at other times during the day.

It’s a Wetherspoon pub but it’s different to most of the others. It’s pretty small, like a friendly local.

It’s fun working here and I love working with the regulars and other customers who pop in for a quick drink or meal.

Sometimes I can’t carry plates and glasses when I’m in pain because of my right arm. But that only happens once in a blue moon and I normally pull pints with my right arm to give it a bit of exercise.

The other staff here are great and if I have a lot of things to carry they will carry drinks from one end of the bar to the other for me.

The regulars know me and help me out by coming to the area of the bar where I am so I don’t have to carry their drinks as far.

The regulars do take the mickey out of my disability but not in a serious way. They call me “wobbles” but I take the mickey out of them back and laugh with them because I know that I wobble a lot when I carry things.

My plan is to stay in The Drum and work my way up to become a manager.

I advise other disabled people thinking of working in a pub not to be scared of doing so.

You’ll meet new people and colleagues who will help you out if you need it.

• Ahmet Faruk Vural was talking to Sunil Peck.

AHMET FARUK VURAL: CAREER PATH

• 2001 – Left Islington Green School and went to train youth players at Arsenal
• 2002 – Worked as a hairdresser
• 2002 – Went to work at a catering company
• 2009 – Started work at The Drum