Hailing from Brisbane, Alex traded studying a degree in teaching to dreams of cooking. Working his way through many notable venues in the Brisbane dining scene, he settled in the kitchen of then-noted Brisbane steakhouse Cha Cha Char where he completed his apprenticeship under the tutelage of its chef at the time, Ben Williamson, who remains a close friend today.​

Once Alex completed his apprenticeship, he moved to Melbourne, where he worked in a diverse range of kitchens beginning in the busy Italian diner, Guissepe Arnaldo and Sons. After some time and learning as much as he could, the allure of Lebanese spices and charcoal cooking drew him to Rumi in Brunswick under the steady eye of celebrated chef Joseph Abboud with whom he found a passion for old-world techniques and respect for tradition.

After many conversations with Ben around their mutual passion for the cuisines of the Middle East, Ben convinced Alex to move back to Brisbane to help him open Gerard’s Bistro, which with Alex’s help, went on to win numerous National Awards and held and maintained a coveted rating of two chefs’ hats in the Good Food Guide for a number of years. After many years at Gerard’s, the call of Melbourne pulled Alex back to work at the Two Hatted Saint Crispin under Joe Grbac and Scott Picket. Here he learned the strict structure, pace and high standards of modern Western kitchens.

From there, Alex’s next move was to Frank Camorra’s Movida to his first senior role as sous chef under Frank’s right hand Ewen Crawford, building strong bonds again with both Frank and Ewen and combining all of his past experiences. Ben again contacted Alex to move back to Brisbane to head up the kitchen at Ben’s already established and highly lorded wood fire-driven restaurant Agnes to assist him as he expanded his portfolio to Bianca, Agnes Bakery, sAme sAme and Hôntô.