I fell into being a bartender. I left school when I was 16 and the only academic thing I’d cared about was my sport GCSE. As a youngster, I simply wanted to play sport. I was in the junior ranks of the England cricket squad, progressing well, then at the age of 24 I injured myself pretty seriously.
The transition to bartending was nothing more than a series of coincidences. I was in a bar one night with a friend whose mate was the manager and they needed some help for a private party. I was really useless – copying the guys I was working with, holding the bottles weirdly – but I loved it. I enjoyed the interaction with people; the buzz, the pace. A second opportunity to help came up the next night and things just went from there. Being a sportsman means I’m competitive, so I immediately wanted to get good at the job. I wanted knowledge – how to make the drinks and interact with guests. There’s a way of interacting with people so that you can work, but still mix great cocktails. I got advice from people I thought were good and within a year I was managing the bar.