'Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages' — The Season 21 winner opened up exclusively with 'Distractify' concerning the finale, existence as of late, and extra.
Spoiler alert: This article incorporates spoilers for Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages.
Yes, chef!
After weeks of high-pressure tests and profitable (as well as not-so-successful) kitchen services, the Season 21 winner was finally announced on Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages. With handiest three chefs final — Alejandro Najar, Alex Belew, and Dafne Mejia — only one could be crowned the winner and named the top chef at Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant at Caesers in Atlantic City, N.J.
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Ultimately, Chef Ramsay named Alex Belew as the winner of Hell's Kitchen Season 21.
In an unique interview with Distractify, Alex unfolded concerning the Hell's Kitchen finale, together with what shocked him maximum in regards to the competition and if he's recently working at Gordon Ramsay's eating place in South Jersey.
Check out our Q&A under. [Editor's word: This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.]
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'Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages' Season 21 winner Alex Belew talks finale, lifestyles these days, and more.
Distractify: When you walked thru that door, you in an instant fell to your knees. What was going thru your mind at that second while you had been announced the winner of Season 21?
Alex Belew: That used to be 100 % disbelief. I imply, should you pause it, once I opened the door ... my eyes are as big as they [could] most likely get. I could not believe it. I used to be sure that Dafne used to be going thru that door.
Before Hell's Kitchen, you were already an award-winning chef. What made you wish to have to compete at the display?
A.B.: I used to be very unsatisfied with the place my life was on the time, with COVID shutting down my restaurant [Dallas and Jane], and I pivoted to a meal prep company. You know, I was used to making a distinct menu nearly every day. We would pass to the farmers marketplace and maintain manufacturers and purveyors, and I had a full team and my eating room was full. And then that was once taken away. Then I switched to a meal prep corporate. And it was once in reality just me, and any other lady working. And we were doing just quantity, mass production, packaging meals. And it was once successful.
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A.B. (endured): But creatively, I used to be simply so stuck. I felt so bored. And I imply, my spouse and I, we have been both talking about let's just move to Montana. ... I was simply sitting on the eating place sooner or later. And I was like, 'There's got to be more to existence than this.' I used to be on Facebook and a guy that I went to culinary faculty with had posted the hyperlink to the appliance to Hell's Kitchen on his web page. ... So, I clicked it and crammed out the appliance. Five minutes later, there used to be a telephone call from a producer. And six months later, they known as me and informed me that I'd made the show.
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Overall, what did you call to mind the competition?
A.B.: I think it is like having a look at an image of the Grand Canyon [versus] in reality status in the middle of the Grand Canyon. When you watch it on TV, you're like, 'Yeah, it is not gonna be arduous. That's easy.' And then you definately go live it, and just the quantity of labor that we put in each day was, you might be talking 20-hour days. ... You have no contact with your circle of relatives; you do not understand how hard that'll be. I ignored both my boys' birthdays. ... But you already know, you wouldn't have your support system, your standard life is long past. You're dozing in a bizarre atmosphere with 4 other dudes which might be all snoring, and also you never know what each moment is going to carry. So, you might be on this consistent state of like, fight or flight.
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What surprised you essentially the most about this pageant?
A.B.: The something that I cherished the most about it used to be that every one people, even the people that went out first, everybody that was there used to be legitimately pushing as exhausting as they perhaps may just. We all sought after the same thing. And so everybody was giving their all and if you end up surrounded by means of other folks which might be all going for a similar thing, all like-minded folks, it makes you're employed more difficult. ... It used to be cool to be surrounded by those that had been inventive, gifted, humble for probably the most section, and truly giving their all every day. It's a laugh to be surrounded via other folks like that.
Have you started working at Caesars in Atlantic City?
A.B.: I've had a dialog with the director of food and beverage. I am going up there in March to make introductions. And we're actively talking a couple of plan. [It's] exciting! I imply, you realize, as a way to still work with Gordon in some capability. I imply, obviously, he is a shockingly busy man however to be in an atmosphere where I am getting to be informed one thing brand new ... I'm all about getting as a lot wisdom as I can out of existence and looking to higher myself. And so so to put myself in a situation where I've by no means labored in a restaurant that might do this a lot quantity, it might be in reality cool to observe and to learn and to soak up. And to just become a extra well-rounded chef on the end of the day.
You can watch Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages on Fox.
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