After working in some of Sydney’s most celebrated kitchens like Aria and Kiln, Brad Crowle has taken his next step at Elliott’s Balmain. Now leading the neighbourhood restaurant into a new era as Head Chef, he brings a produce-led approach shaped by fine dining, open-fire cooking, and a deep respect for seasonality. In this profile, he talks to Crumb Wire about falling for the pace of the kitchen, always seeking the next challenge and how fire is set to become the heart of Elliott’s next chapter. What first sparked your love for food, and how did you get your start in the industry? Initially, hospitality was a great way to spend most of the day at the beach with mates and work at night. But I quickly became addicted to the energy and pace of the kitchen. I was drawn to the discipline, teamwork, and the very direct connection between cooking something well and making someone’s day better. What’s been your journey so far from your first job to where you are now? I started my career in Milton, a small town on the South Coast of NSW. During my apprenticeship, I decided I wanted to challenge myself in Sydney and had my heart set on working at Aria. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to join Aria and complete my apprenticeship there, and that’s where my passion for fine dining really took off. At Aria, I worked alongside people from all over the world, which opened my eyes to different cultures and cuisines. After my time there, I spent several months travelling through Europe on what was essentially a food-focused journey. Experiencing different food cultures firsthand was incredibly inspiring and helped shape the way I think about hospitality. When I returned to Sydney, I spent several years at Barangaroo House, learning to cook over fire from some of the best in the industry. The next major opportunity came when Clare Smyth announced she was opening in Sydney. Having followed her work at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Core, it was something I was determined to be part of. I spent the next three years there, and by the time I left, I was a Junior Sous Chef. From there, I took a year off to live and work in France. Spending time working in some great restaurants. When I returned to Sydney, I took a role as Head Chef at Kiln in Surry Hills, working with Beau Clugston as Partner Chef. Having first experienced his food as an apprentice when Noma visited Sydney, I’d followed his career for years and was excited to learn from him. More recently, the opportunity to join Elliott’s came along. It meant working alongside chefs I greatly respect and represented the next step in my journey, one that was simply too good to pass up. What have been some of your greatest achievements and challenges along the way? I’m very goal-oriented and find a great sense of achievement when I reach them. One of my earliest memories of this was desperately wanting to run the fish section at Aria. As I worked through the years of my apprenticeship, this felt like a world away, but I kept building and learning until eventually that day came. From there, I’ve always been focusing on the next goal. More recently, stepping into Elliott’s and helping shape a new direction for the restaurant has been particularly rewarding. We’ve been building the menu around the open-fire kitchen, refining the team, and creating something that feels right for Balmain. One of the ongoing challenges is finding a balance. You want food to feel thoughtful and refined, while still being generous, approachable, and enjoyable. Outside of your property, what are your current favourite food joints? I’m loving what the teams at Bessie’s and Bar Copain are doing at the moment. I recently ate at Margaret and thought it was fantastic. Mimi’s is always a great spot for lunch, followed by a drink at Will’s. I’ve also recently moved to Drummoyne and have been enjoying afternoons sitting outside by the water at the Sailing Club. Which chefs and cuisines inspire you most, past or present? I’ve taken a lot from the chefs I’ve worked alongside, particularly the discipline and ingredient focus of places like Oncore, and the fire-led, produce-first approach at Kiln. Beau Clugston’s cooking has definitely influenced the way I think about food and creativity. More broadly, I’m inspired by French technique, modern Australian cooking, and cuisines built around seasonality, simplicity, and cooking over fire. How do you think Australia’s food culture has evolved in recent years? Australia’s food culture has become more confident. Diners are more open-minded, and chefs are less tied to traditional ideas of what a “serious” restaurant needs to look like. There’s a greater focus on provenance, native ingredients, fire, fermentation, and seasonality, but also more value placed on venues that feel relaxed, local, and welcoming. People still want excellent food, but they also want warmth, energy, and places they can return to regularly. Any exciting food trends you’ve tried at home or sneaked onto the menu? Fire cooking is the obvious one for me, although I don’t really see it as a trend. It’s one of the oldest ways to cook, and there’s still so much depth to explore. At Elliott’s, the open-fire kitchen has become central to the menu. We use it across seafood, meat, and vegetables, building flavour through smoke and embers. Native Australian ingredients have also been exciting to work with, particularly when they bring freshness, balance, or a genuine sense of place, rather than being used for novelty. And finally, what do you love doing when you’re not in the kitchen? Cooking professionally can be all-consuming, so I try to switch off whenever I can. Most weekends involve eating out, getting in the ocean for a swim, or heading out for the occasional fishing trip. More recently, I’ve started getting into endurance sports, so a lot of my spare time is spent training...
