Mohd Asshur Jahari, or Ash as he is known to his friends, has been in the food and beverage industry for 26 years.
But even after years of handling the same drinking crowds every night and ensuring venues are stocked with enough drinks in the day, he says the job is anything but “monotonous”.
Joined the industry in 1997
Ash found himself working at the front desk at the now-defunct ANA hotel back in 1996.
Then-18 years of age, he never expected much out of the job until a bar at the hotel caught his attention.
He remembered the bar, called Europa Ridleys, for its vibrant atmosphere with cheery staff and customers coming in and out.
“... the staff all seemed so happy to be working there,” he said.
Day after day, he fed off the “happy” vibes emanating from the bar.
The teen thought to himself: Maybe I should pursue a job in the food and beverage industry.
Soon, he started his degree in hotel management at The Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) and decided to take an F&B module.
He thought it was the “best module” compared to the others offered.
Soon after, he got a job as a part-time waiter in a venue called Dancer’s Club and had his first taste of the industry.
Needless to say, it was a good one as he’s stayed in the same line of work until today.
Over the years, he’s worked at various establishments, from clubs to bars, and even casual and fine-dining restaurants.
He’s also held different positions throughout, rising the ranks from working as a bar manager to an operations manager and group general operations manager.
Today, Ash still has a positive outlook on his job and told me that he enjoyed it almost every day.
But as with any job, some days can get stressful.
There were some non-stop nights where he spent hours on his feet, running up and down the venue.
This was usually during big events like Formula 1, where he was in charge of making sure that attendees had enough to eat and drink.
Another was when a bar he was working at saw crowds larger than they anticipated that night, forcing them to scurry to the restaurant next door to “borrow” alcohol.
Memorable times
Some days were certainly more exciting days than others, said Ash — unforgettable in fact.
On multiple occasions, he’s had the chance to interact with celebrities while working.
Ash counts among his customers the Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, and the actor Mel Gibson.
He was in charge of operating their crazy after-parties, which often came with an entourage of their rich and famous friends.
“The friendliest artist I would say was the Black Eyed Peas,” Ash revealed, “they spoke to me like I was their friend and also gave out some free concert tickets.”
He gave a special mention to the late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, to whom he served dinner during an event.
Always being in the middle of big parties, Ash and his co-workers sometimes joined in the fun.
“(The job) is fun because you get to enjoy it while you are working and you get good tips when you give great service,” Ash said optimistically.
At times, he and his co-workers would have a round or two with the customers.
“This usually happens during big parties, they get so wasted from drinking too much with the customers that can’t perform their job.”
He’s seen his co-workers babbling about seemingly important things in disjointed sentences that made little to no sense.
Others’ emotional side surfaced; tears and snot emerged as they cheered their next drink.
Never a dull day
Now 44, Ash is working as a Procurement Head at Cellarbration, where he looks into securing low prices, good deals, and partnerships for the alcohol retailer.
He also looks after the stock level for all stores and platforms.
He starts work in the office before moving on foot to meet suppliers, and visiting the outlets he’s in charge of in the evening.
It may sound pretty standard and repetitive.
Yet, Ash says every day is different and far from a “monotonous working life” as he sees it as something quite exciting and can never expect what’s going to happen next.
He described his work as an Old Fashioned cocktail: on the surface a simple mix of orange zest and whiskey, yet, difficult to execute perfectly.
With over 20 years of experience in the field, Ash has accumulated quite a library of knowledge on alcoholic products.
Yet, he’s keen not just to keep it to himself but use his experience to help bars, bistros and F&B businesses get through those hectic nights.
With Cellarbartion’s on-demand alcohol service, those crazy nights can be turned around.
On-demand alcohol service
Cellarbration’s on-demand alcohol delivery service promises to be a reliable supplier that businesses can depend on to keep the party going.
With Cellarbration’s latest B2B campaign, businesses can procure alcohol on demand.
All they have to do is sign up as a member on their website.
Once they’ve done that, they can browse through a collection of beers, wines, soju and hard liquor on the site and choose from delivery options of 60 minutes, same-day or next-day delivery.
The best part is that bars and bistros don’t need to sign a contract or have any minimum spending to purchase.
More information can be found below:
This article sponsored by Cellarbration made the writer wish she had a drink in her hands right now.
Images from Cellarbration.