School of Chocolate

• Round 1: Pastry Exercise

Round one consists of a pastry exercise each episode, of which Amaury Guichon assigns a challenge containing one technical element. Contestants are judged on their technical skills, storytelling, presentation, taste and the incorporation of the ‘technical element’.

• Workshop
• Round 2: Show Piece Challenge

For the first challenge chefs were given four and a half hours to create edible illusions out of chocolate using hand crafted moulds. Those who did not fare well in the first challenge attend a one-on-one session with Amaury Guichon, instead of competing in the second challenge. In the second challenge contestants split off into two teams the ‘top dogs’ of the last challenge, Daniel Joseph Corpuz and Juan Gutierrez, are assigned as team captains, and select their team members, excluding Tyricia Clark and Amanda Miller who attend the one-on-one session. This challenge teams have 14 hours to bend chocolate into intricate architectural shapes and structures. The best in class named for episode 1 was Juan.[2]

The first challenge requires chefs to create a “photo realistic food item using various natural additives”.[2] Again the two chefs who did not live up to Guichon’s standards attend a one-on-one session with the expert. This episode Daniel Joseph Corpuz and Cedrick Simpson were excluded from the second challenge to attend the session with Guichon. For the second challenge chefs again split into two teams to craft a nature inspired chocolate structure. Chefs Amanda Miller and Stephanie Norcio were team leaders. The end of episode left viewers on a cliff hanger, as team Stephanie’s chocolate sculpture collapsed.

Episode three began as Chef Guichon provided feedback to the two teams naming Team Amanda as the winners of the second challenge. Chef Guichon was conflicted when naming best in the class between Daniel Joseph Corpuz and Melissa Root, so he leaves it up the contestants to vote amongst themselves for best in class. Melissa root was voted in as best in class. Challenge one of episode three must include an ‘Oozing-out’ element. Contestants were given four and a half hours to create their story telling dessert with the oozing element. Team leaders were names Tyrisha Clark and Juan Gutierrez. Those on the bottom and attending the one-on-one session with Guichon in episode four were Melissa Root and Thiago Silva.

Episode four begins with a Chocolate Showpiece challenge. Contestant have 16 hours to design a chocolate showpiece that hangs from the ceiling. This time chefs split into groups of two. This week Juan and Daniel’s team won the Chocolate Showpiece Challenge. Best in class was named Juan Gutierrez for the second time this season.

This week the pastry exercise divided the contestants. Half of the contestants will be creating flower petals out of tempered chocolate; the other half will be making working hinges out of chocolate. The petal contestants had four and a half hours to create a cake displaying the flower element of this week’s exercise. The hinge team with the same amount of time were instructed to create an interactive pastry that included a hinge. Out of the flower contestants Cedrick Simpson was the winner. Melissa was named winner of the hinge contestants. The winners of the pastry exercise’s were deemed with the decision of who will not compete in the showpiece challenge. Juan Gutierrez and Stephanie Norcio were chosen to sit out of the Showpiece challenge.

Episode six starts with a Chocolate Showpiece Challenge. This weeks showpiece challenge contestants were instructed to create a small showpiece suitable for a children’s birthday party, encapsulating the theme of flight. Paired off into teams of two contestants had nine hours toe create their chocolate structure. The winning team of todays challenge was Tyricia Clark and Melissa Root, Tyricia was also named as best in class.

For the pastry exercise chefs were challenged with four and a half hours to create anything they wanted as long as it included a blown sugar element. This week Thiago and Juan were named best in the class. Chef Guichon named the two top achievers in the ‘class’: Juan Gutierrez and Melissa Root. Guichon announced that the next chocolate exercise will determine who the winner is out of Juan and Melissa. They will lead two teams of four to create a chocolate showpiece.

The theme for the final Chocolate showpiece challenge was prehistoric. Juan chose Daniel, Tyricia and Cedrick. Melissa chose Thiago, Amanda and Stephanie. Teams had 16 hours to make a four-foot-tall chocolate showpiece entirely out of chocolate. The awards for the winner was an official invitation to Chef Amaury Guichon’s pastry academy in Las Vegas, to teach at an international masterclass. The second award was a check for $50,000. The thrid prize; an invitation to the Charleston Wine and Food Festival. The final prize; a one-on-one session with professional chefs from Cacao Barry (link to Wikipedia page). The awards total to a value of $100,000. Best in class was named Juan Gutierrez.

Mashable gave the first season a positive review, remarking on the advance away from the cut-throat traditional format of similar competitive reality shows, in the house of chocolate there is no elimination of participants from subsequent episodes.[5]