From Boiler Rat to Barista – My Journey

If you’d told me a few years back that I’d swap 20-odd years as a pipe fitter on power stations for slinging coffee beans, I’d have laughed… probably while covered in stinking overalls holding a 9-inch grinder.

For two decades, my life was all about pipes, work and beer, and making sure the big stuff kept running. I worked with some of the best blokes (and some of the biggest machines) you could imagine. I loved the graft, the banter, the party life and the salary that came with it. But somewhere along the line, I realised I wanted more than just working on power stations and waiting for the next pay cheque — I wanted to build something for people.

The thing is, when you spend years chasing money and weekends, you start to wonder what’s left behind. Don’t get me wrong — I had a laugh, made memories, and learned more than I can fit in a toolbox. But I also knew there was a part of me that wanted to give back, to actually create something that had meaning, not just another pipeline that got ripped out a few years later.

Before the Beans

Before the Beans

The Jump

That’s when the idea of Kings of the Road Coffee started bubbling away in the back of my head. At first, I thought it was daft — I mean, me? A coffee guy? But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Coffee has always been part of my life. It’s that thing you grab on the way to work, share with a mate, or cling to on a rough Monday morning. And what better way to bring people together than over a proper brew?

I swapped the grinder that cut steel for the grinder that cuts beans. The sparks flying in the welding bay turned into sparks of ideas, late nights planning, and a fire in my belly that no power station could match.

More Than a Brew

What started as a wild idea has turned into a business, a community, and a chance to give back in a way I never thought possible. From hard hats to flat whites, from scaffolding to serving, it’s been a mad journey — but it feels like I’m finally building something that lasts.

Leaving a job after 20 years is a bit like jumping off a moving train — terrifying, but thrilling. I didn’t have all the answers, but I knew three things:

1. I wanted to create something unique 

2. I knew I wanted to give back to the community

3. I really, really love coffee.

So, in October 2024 I came up with an idea, a vision with no name. I knew it was going to be big, a knew it would change peoples coffee experience and I wanted it all.

So, from an October idea to February 2025, Kings of the Road Coffee was born. And let me tell you — it’s been one heck of a ride.

Adam