The former Penrith, NSW and Australian rugby league hero has switched his talents to coffee making and connoisseurs agree he has quickly blossomed into a top-class barista.

In an exciting development for the ex-footballer and his coffee production team, Girdlers Grind Blend No.3 has been exclusively released for sale at Coles supermarkets throughout NSW.

Yesterday the former league star visited Coles in Narromine and invited shoppers to sample his coffee, his passion following retirement from rugby league.

“Girdlers Grind is going really well - we have worked really hard and it is great people here in Narromine got to taste our product and realise they can make it at home,” Mr Girdler said.

“It is all about being fresh; if it is fresh you can taste the difference.”

For those into their coffee, Girdlers Grind Blend No.3 is an organic, fair trade coffee roasted by Belaroma, at Balgowlah on Sydney’s northern beaches.

This coffee is 100 per cent organic and has been produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides or herbicides and is also free from any genetically modified ingredients.

Mr Girdler first entered the coffee world when he and his wife bought a run-down juice bar in Sydney eight years ago.

“When I retired (from league), I fell in love with the process of making coffee so I did a lot of courses,” Ryan said.

“I focused on coffee and doing it right and the café went from making a couple hundred coffees a week to three of four thousand cups a week.

“Coles then came to me about six months ago about the idea of launching a coffee product, I hadn’t thought about it, but we put our heads together and came up with Girdlers Grind.”

Although some may be surprised to see the former sportsperson behind a coffee machine, Mr Girdler said he has found another passion in life.

“I love coffee,” he said.

“The best thing about it is I love it; it brings a lot of energy and passion out of me and I love going to work.”

Coffee lovers weren’t the only ones thrilled meet Ryan and sample the coffee in Narromine yesterday, but a number of young league fans were equally delighted to receive and autograph from the former league hero.