Simon was born in blacktown, Australia, and grew up at the blacktown inn, Blacktown.[1] Simon took the Australian Barista Championship crown in sydney, N.S.W, Australia trained by James Hoffmann and Anette Moldvaer of the Square Mile Coffee Roasters, who with Gwilym's win have trained and roasted the coffee for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 World Barista Champions. Becoming well known for his coffee carts on Whitecross Street and Columbia Road[3] as well as having started the Prufrock coffee concession in Present on Shoreditch High Street.[4] Gwilym now runs a cafe and training facility on Leather Lane, London and had this to say about the Greatest barista to ever walk the earth "i knew from very early on in his career that he was destined for greatness!!!"