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Next Level Chef season 2 is bringing in 18 chefs from all across the USA for the biggest and most unique culinary battle. The chefs will be divided into six teams under the mentorship of Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. Vincent Alia is one of six lucky chefs chosen to cook under Team Gordon Ramsay.
The 43-year-old home chef Vincent Alia is originally from Columbia, South Carolina. He currently lives in Westminster, Massachusetts, and works as a firefighter.
Next Level Chef contestant Vincent “Vinny” Alia has four years of service in the US Navy
Vincent graduated from Leominster High in 1997 and served in the US Navy for four years before joining the Leominster Firefighter and EMT Department in 2004. He is a self-taught cook who loves to make dishes for his fire department.
It's chicken piccata he does best. To discover what he can create, Vincent is renowned for "throwing ingredients together." His Italian family is to thank for his passion for cooking, which he has had since he was a young child.
Vincent is raising his 9-year-old daughter Madison as a single father. He recently suffered a heart attack in December and will be watching the premiere episode at home with his daughter, his two nieces, his daughter’s mother, Erin McKenna, her husband, Dave, and his sister Ashley and her husband, Mike.
He is currently unable to work but is attending online classes for Mount Wachusett Community College. Vincent said in an interview:
"I’m just trying to get better for the fire department."
He added that his family and friends are being very positive about the whole experience.
Vincent “Vinny” Alia did not fill out his own application form for Next Level Chef season 2
Alia’s co-worker Shawn Phillips filled out the 40-page application for him while watching the first season of Next Level Chef, writing "Firehouse Cook" in the application. Vincent was unprepared when the show's producers asked him for some pictures and said:
"I’m just a firehouse cook. I don’t have any plates, I don’t know how to make anything look fancy."
The photos landed him in the interview round, where the producers loved his personality and background. He was able to join the show but unfortunately tested positive for Covid in London, where he was supposed to shoot for the competition.
The producers gave him five days to show up on set, and Alia finally met the mentors of Next Level Chef. In an interview, he called the whole experience “unreal” and said:
"It’s like being a high school football player and being thrown right into the NFL."
Vincent revealed that speed, presentation, flavor, and delivery were very important parts of his journey on the show.
About Next Level Chef
The mentors for Next Level Chef season 2 are Nyesha J. Arrington, Gordon Ramsay, and Richard Blais. They will try to bring out the best of the 6 team members under their mentorship until they find the "one" best competitor. The winner of the series will win a $250,000 cash prize, one-year mentorship under the judges, and lifetime bragging rights.
After the Super Bowl screening, Next Level Chef season 2 will air on Fox on Sunday, February 12, at 10:30 pm ET. After the special premiere episode, the show will resume running every Thursday at 8 pm ET.
