Ahead of his sold-out event, we talk to the dessert whiz about why SA’s so great, what he hopes people start realising, and how we should approach Tasting Australia’s jam-packed program.
While his peers spent their weekends playing video games, a determined 14-year-old Alex Crawford took on the role of commis chef at Chloe’s Restaurant in Kent Town. He’s been hooked on hospo ever since.
Eventually he wound up working with pastry, “which is when I really fell in love with sweets,” says the man now known around town as the Sugar Man. In 2022 he opened his first shopfront, and his highly-Instagramable pastry creations gained a cult following. Though 2025 saw him pivot from pastry to gelato after a burnout-induced quarter-life crisis, that cult status remains. Almost any afternoon you’ll find lines out his store’s Hutt Street door, eager to devour unique gelati like carrot cake with roasted pecans and whipped lemon cream, and mascarpone custard with blackberry, yuzu olive oil and smoked salt.
“We’re breaking the boundaries of gelato, which is what we wanted to do from the beginning,” says Crawford. “You can go to other places and get your vanilla, your chocolate, your strawberry, and that’s fantastic, but it’s not what I am. There’s so much more to explore in terms of matching aromatics that people won’t think will go together, but they do.”
It’s this creative, adventurous approach to food that’s helped Crawford become an Adelaide household name and get tapped for gigs like this year’s Good Neighbour – Under One Sky event at Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond.
Good Neighbour – Under One Sky
“Duncan [Welgemoed], who is a good mate and absolutely amazing supporter of us, forwarded the idea to me to see if it’s something I would be interested in, and it was an immediate yes,” says Crawford.
The sold-out event will see four local chefs – Mindy Woods, Duncan Welgemoed, Sarah Glover and Alex Crawford – joined by South Aussie winemakers Sue Bell and Pauly Vandenbergh to put on a spectacular one-night-only dinner in a purpose-built bistro, surrounded by works by SA artists including Coober Pedy’s George Cooley.
“What I love about this event is that I can learn from other chefs and see what they’re doing,” says Crawford. “Native ingredients are not something I usually work with, but I was keen to break out of my own boundaries and experiment with them.”
Those who’ve missed out on tickets, and therefore the opportunity to taste Crawford’s show-stopper dessert creation of the night, will be pleased to hear his learnings – and new ingredients – will pop up at Sugar Man around the same time. “We’re doing a sorbet with native fruits that’s simply sublime,” he says. Baked goods including cookies and brownies will also be introduced as winter approaches, so watch this space.
Other Tasting Australia events to check out
For Crawford, the 2026 Club Series is not to be missed. “You’ve got events by the Slovenian Club, the Greek Club, the Austrian Club, and they’re all being fronted by some of the most amazing chefs in South Australia. It’s such a great opportunity to go and experience the culture and try some new foods that you might not have seen before.”
He also highlights the Masterclass Series, including Chardonnay and Sparkling showcases.
It’s a girthy program, so Crawford’s advice is to “just go in with open eyes and ears and really dive into it”. “Obviously price point is a factor, but also think about what you want to learn and where you’re willing to go,” he says. “There are events happening in the Barossa Valley, the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu. Pick one of those, take the day off, get away from the city and see how the day-to-day lives of chefs and farmers and producers out there look – it’s really eye-opening.”
What’s so good about SA
Bias aside, the Adelaide born-and-bred chef rates South Australia’s food and wine scene sky high, namely for its centrality to everything: “Wine regions, beaches, hills; it’s just so easy to get good produce at our doorstep,” he says. “And we’ve got some of the most phenomenal artists, producers and farmers.”
The Dairyman Barossa and Barossa Cheese get a special shoutout, though “there are hundreds,” says Crawford.
Supporting local creators, producers and businesses is up to all of us, he says. Particularly in these tough economic times. “I hope people start realising that running a small business is really hard and that it costs a lot of money in this country,” says Crawford. “We all have budgets, but I hope people can try and seek out South Australian brands and businesses and not compare them to the bigger guys.”
This shouldn’t be too difficult a feat with local businesses like Sugar Man on offer.
Find out more about Tasting Australia, see the whole program and get booking.
