How I woke Ireland up to the taste of coffee

In 1998, David McKernan left his job, remortgaged his house, and cashed in his pension to fund his start-up coffee company, Java Republic. Now he's turning over €8m.

David McKernan, 42, isn't troubled by appearances. In the early days of his ethical coffee company, Java Republic, he went nude in a local coffee bar to promote it. "My wife wouldn't talk to me for a week," says the Dubliner. "I hadn't exercised in ages and the body wasn't looking all that good." But having taken on the two companies that controlled 90% of the Irish coffee market in 1999, he had to do everything he could to get his brand off the starting blocks.

Brought up in Lucan, West Dublin, McKernan "went to a great school called Kings Hospital, which I can't talk about now because those two eejits (Jedward) from X Factor went there". After school, he joined Bewley's, the dominant coffee firm in Ireland, rising to become sales and marketing manager with a company Mercedes and a salary of IR£80,000 a year.

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Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.