Jordan's business built from 'grounds' up: coffee lover to mobile barista

He can vividly recall standing at the top of Men's Shed organiser John Barlow's driveway, the rolling paddocks and pastures of Stony Creek around him, and feeling as though this was the place he was meant to be.

Jordan asked for a job and was given an angle grinder, and his love for building things with his hands began.

"My friend gave me this 50-year-old Italian Rancilio coffee machine because it wasn't working, and I restored it in the Men's Shed, completely disassembled it, pulled the boiler apart, cleaned it all," Jordan said, proud of what he'd achieved.

"I built the van, got it for nothing because it was bent out of shape, then I learnt how to weld and put the chassis together and all that, from the ground up with no knowledge on how to do it," he said with a laugh.

At 24, he is the owner of Jordan's Drink, a kind individual who began making coffee after he finished high school as he wasn't sure what his career prospects were.

However, he said the people doing the course were extremely passionate about what they did, and it blew him away.

"I thought, 'maybe I can become like this too', so I did that, became a kitchen hand in a little cafe in Brisbane, got on the coffee machine every opportunity I could get, and fully immersed myself, going home to research about making coffee," he said.

"Eventually the barista moved on and I put my hand up, 'I want to do it', and it just filled me up with all this passion and energy to make coffee myself."

Within the past few months, Jordan also began developing three carbonated cordials using real, hand-picked ingredients including lemons, ginger and mixed berries to pair with the hot brews, and home-baked croissants, which were nestled under a glass dome as he stood in Littleton Gardens.

"I just love it, I love talking to people, I love connecting over coffee," he said.

The fresh warm hues of his homemade drinks rested in glass bottles on the table in front of him, Candelo Coffee beans proudly showcased a local Tantawangalo roast, a handpicked bouquet added pops of further colour to an already homely atmosphere, and Tilba Dairy milk waited alongside his restored coffee machine.

Dressed in his signature plaid top and chinos, with an equally friendly smile, he saw a dairy hand named Wally in navy blue overalls approach the van, ready for his morning caffeine hit, and upon taking a sip, the man replied, "Top notch".