“True creativity is simply not revealing your sources”: Chef Alex Belew talks about Hell's Kitchen challenges and more

Chef Alex Belew proved his talent in the first few episodes of Hell's Kitchen season 21, with his innovative dishes, proactive mindset, and culinary skills earned him many fans. His journey on the show has been a mixture of highs and lows, but he would not have it any other way.

From receiving a perfect score from legendary chef Gordon Ramsay to being one of the frontrunners in the competition, Belew has set himself up for several wins on the show.

In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, Alex Belew opened up about the unique challenges, wins and losses and his relationship with fellow cast members in Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the Ages.

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Chef Alex Belew talks about his experience on Hell's Kitchen season 21

This season of Hell's Kitchen brought along more heat and drama as compared to its previous seasons. Many contestants struggled to put out decent dishes in service challenges and faced the wrath of Gordon Ramsay as they were kicked out of the kitchen. With the stakes getting higher with each passing episode, it is only natural for teams to feel overwhelmed.

Chef Alex Belew opened up about dealing with pressure on Hell's Kitchen and meeting the high expectations of Ramsay and the diners. The chef confessed to facing crisis multiple times in the kitchen but stated that he relied on his culinary knowledge to get through challenging times.

Belew further stated:

"When that happens you have to rely on instinct and your knowledge of food. What flavors go together, how do some things need to be cooked and hope for the best. I’ve gone 30 minutes through a 40 minute challenge before I knew what I was actually making."

He continued:

"Those 30 minutes I was just cooking and putting things together that I knew worked. Knowledge and creativity is key. And true creativity is simply not revealing your sources!!"

In the premiere episode, while some presented mediocre dishes (including boxed pasta), Alex Belew received a perfect score from Gordon Ramsay for his salmon dish. However, the team missed out on the win by an inch before eventually heading into a chaotic punishment.

The chef was among the very few who received a perfect score. Speaking about the same, Belew stressed on the importance of being optimistic, stating:

"That was one of the greatest moments in my career. Unfortunately, it only lasted about 3 minutes due to getting sidelined by boxed pasta. What a crazy thing to choose to make for Chef. I was frustrated for sure, but I still tried my best to keep a positive mindset. Day one is way too soon to lose your mind and blow a gasket."

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Alex Belew is not a big fan of Hell's Kitchen season 21's format

The chef also won one of the first punishment passes for the season and termed it as "comfort, blessing, and also possibly a weapon!!" Hell's Kitchen season 21 saw the contestants divided into two teams based on age groups. The Blue team had chefs in the age group of 40 and the Red team included the 20s. Belew however, hasn't been a big fan of the format this season.

He stated:

"Honestly, if you look at the clip where he announces the theme for this year, I was one of the last to clap. I wasn’t excited about it at all. I knew the 20s had just come off the line and most people my age are in managerial roles. I wasn’t wrong for thinking that!!"

However, chef Belew maintained that he shared a great rapport with his team members. He confessed to finding some of his best friends on the show and that they are constantly in touch, revealing that aside from drama, the cast really cared about each other.

As far as chefs from the age group of 20s are concerned, Belew called them "a truly talented group of adults," and established that he held them in high regard. He said:

"I can’t wait to watch what their careers become. I can honestly say that I have a good relationship with all of them, and I would hire any of them at any time to come work with me!"

When asked if he had any favorites from the teams, Alex Belew stated:

"As far as favorites go, I can’t say that I have just one. There are too many of them that mean a lot to me. I know it sounds like I’m dodging the question, but I really do love those kids."

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Chef Alex Belew was inspired by food at a very young age, from cooking with his grandmother during his starting days to now having a significant amount of experience in the culinary industry. He has brought all of his experience, skills and resilience to the cooking competition to put himself up for the ultimate test. Will he be successful? Only time will tell.

For more information on chef Alex Belew, viewers can look him up on his website and follow his winning dish recipes online. Keep watching Hell's Kitchen every Thursday at 8 pm ET on Fox.