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
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:
I wanted to create something unique
I knew I wanted to give back to the community
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.
