ST. LOUIS — For Austin Beckett, a native of Freeburg, Illinois, cooking was never just about “liking” food but about how it brought people together.

His genuine love of cooking and its ability to bring people to the same table launched him into a career that started in St. Louis and eventually led him to Dublin, Ireland, for season four of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef.”

Beckett is one of three finalists competing in the finale of “Next Level Chef” on Thursday, but his cooking journey began when he was just a child.

The 32-year-old cook told FOX 2 he began teaching himself to cook as a kid when his mom and dad were often away at work.

“When I was at my friend’s houses, I saw how other moms cooked, and I saw what I never had,” Beckett said. “A family moment I never had that was communal and centered around a table together.”

One of Beckett’s first cooking jobs was at a mom-and-pop restaurant in small Smithton, Illinois, called Robert Scott’s Grill & Cafe.

“I learned there that the knife felt good in my hand,” Beckett said. “This was more than just a summer job.”

When it came time to leave for college, Beckett surprised many when he chose culinary school over an opportunity to play soccer at college in Springfield, Illinois. Beckett said he knew deep down he was meant to cook and pursued culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago.

Becket eventually moved back to St. Louis to finish his education after transferring to the Le Cordon Blue College located in St. Peters, Missouri, before it permanently closed in 2017.

From there, Beckett’s career took him to the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis and eventually to where he currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, working as a private chef.

Beckett said he frequently watched many of Gordon Ramsay’s cooking shows, including “Next Level Chef” with his wife before he applied to cook on the show.

“It’s all thanks to my wife,” Beckett said. “My wife encouraged me to apply after getting annoyed with me saying things like ‘I could do this’ while watching.”

After applying, Beckett was invited to join “Next Level Chef” and compete for four weeks against 24 other competitors in Dublin, Ireland.

“It’s an opportunity that can’t be underestimated,” Beckett said. “I’ve already met so many amazing people; we are all super close.”

Beckett encountered a challenge during a recent episode when he caught a viral infection that led to a 102-degree fever. Despite encouragement from the show’s staff to drop out of the competition, Beckett continued and even won that episode’s challenge despite being incredibly sick.

“I could barely stand up. They wanted to quarantine me, but I couldn’t do that,” Beckett said. “It blew my mind; it was definitely mind over matter.”

Beckett attributes his 16 years of cooking to his ability to win the episode’s challenge despite not knowing how his food tasted.

Beckett said it was also the guidance and teaching of Ramsay and the show’s mentors that kept him going. While Ramsay is often known for his loud and demanding personality, Beckett said he is much more personable and relatable than many may know.

“Anybody can scream; it takes a different kind of chef to be a mentor,” Beckett said.

After weeks of competition, Beckett eventually made it to the finale, where he competes against two other chefs for the crowning of “Next Level Chef.”

Beckett’s family will be hosting a watch party in Freeburg, Illinois, to experience the season finale and whether Beckett will walk away with the $250,000 grand prize and title of “Next Level Chef.”

Beckett told FOX 2 that no matter the outcome, the opportunity has opened up many more doors for him, and he plans to visit St. Louis in fall 2025 for a special pop-up experience with local cooks.

The season four finale of Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef” will air on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on FOX 2.