The Sugar Man
These chocolates are sweetened by nostalgia and a love of Adelaide.
The Far East unfolds for travellers on Holland America Line’s Westerdam during 10 itineraries on the 1,916-passenger ship, until April next year. There are port visits in seven countries with pre-cruise signature experiences in Hong Kong and Singapore. hollandamerica.com
WHO Alex Crawford began his career as a 14-year-old commis chef at Chloe’s Restaurant in Adelaide. Days off were spent learning how to temper chocolate and make ice-cream bases. He later started a business selling pavlova croissants and custard-tart macarons directly to cafés, but gave it up after costs became unsustainable. After a trip to Italy, which acted as a chocolatemaking research mission, he began creating single-origin bars for his former clients and they loved them. The Sugar Man was born.
HOW “Eighty per cent of the flavours are nostalgic,” he says.
“I’m a big kid.” The Sugar Man’s chocolate draws on Crawford’s childhood memories, from his Milo dependency – “like everybody else, I used to eat it straight out of the tin with a spoon” – to his grandfather’s love of marmalade. The Marmalade on Toast bar is made with Valencia oranges from a tree that has sheltered his grandmother’s yard for six decades.
WHY “I’m damn proud of the producers and produce we have here in South Australia,” he says. The Sugar Man range showcases the state’s ingredients with flair. The crumbs in the Marmalade on Toast are from the Central Markets’ Dough Bakery, and are browned in The Dairyman butter from the Barossa. Eggs in the Sticky Date Pudding bar come from Earth Eggs, which allow only 14 chickens to roam each hectare. Crawford is even on a first-name basis with Clara, the Maremma sheepdog who looks after the chooks. $12 for a 115gm-130gm bar, available at Smelly Cheese Shop, Fred Eatery and other outlets in Adelaide. instagram.com/the_sugar_man_