Netflix’s School of Chocolate Season 1 delights the chocoholic present in each one of us. The reality TV show consists of eight episodes ranging from 30 to 50 minutes filled with chocolatey showdowns between eight pastry chefs. The host and mentor of the contestants is the world-renowned pastry chef Amaury Guichon who fills them with knowledge and challenges their skills to determine who is the best out of the lot.
– Netflix’s School of Chocolate Season 1 review does not contain spoilers –
School of Chocolate: You can do everything with Chocolate!
The show introduces us to the 29-year-old emblematic figure in the world of confectionary with a speciality over chocolate and owner of ‘The Pastry Academy’ in Las Vegas, Amaury Guichon who acts as the mentor and judge to our contestants. Our Masterchef also has his two assistants- Carolyn and Devin, who help out the contestants with guidelines and details.
The contestants on the show are not nobodys. They are people from professional backgrounds and executive chef jobs who are here to learn and hone their skills. The contestants include eight pastry chefs- Amanda (Chef Instructor), Stephanie (Hotel Pastry Chef), Thiago (Executive Pastry Chef), Juan (Executive Pastry Chef), Cedrick (Pastry Chef), Mellisa (Restaurant Owner and Executive Patry Chef), Tyricia (Pastry Chef) and Daniel (Chocolatier and Pastry Chef).
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Over the course of eight episodes, the contestants are provided with different situations and challenges that demand the best out of them. The first episode, even though more like a warm-up, tests the participants’ talent to create illusion with the help of chocolate starting from easy structures like crayons and rolling pins to greater architectural structure. As the show goes on the challenges toughen with time which includes creating deceptive desserts, chocolate showpieces, exquisite flowers and various others.
During the first half of School of Chocolate, the participants indulge in and perform solo tasks. But by the second half team challenges take the front row which starts with creating a ginormous structure made entirely out of chocolate. At the end of every challenge, Amaury picks the best out of the lot in terms of creative thinking, using enhanced techniques and, of course, with a flavourful creation.
The best part of the show is how there are no elimination rounds after every task or episode. Instead, the two chefs who score the lowest are asked to sit out the challenge at hand. Meanwhile, Chef Amaury is a sweetheart and it is a fresh breath of air seeing him be sweet and supportive towards the participants instead of the regular judge bashing the participants for underperforming. The overall experience of the series is to learn and improve and it shows in every episode.
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By the end of the show, however, there is one winner who takes home a tempting reward- 50, 000 dollar grand prize along with an opportunity to teach an international master class at Chef Guichon’s pastry academy in Las Vegas. The winner also gets 500 pounds of chocolate from Cacao Berry and a one-on-one session with Cacao Berry chefs at their facility, and also an invitation to the Charleston Food and Wine Festival to enter as a participant. So yes, even though the set-up of the series isn’t like a competition, per se, it still vibes like that due to the tempting reward at the end.
School of Chocolate Season 1: Final Verdict
School of Chocolate is sweet and simple but, also creative and enjoyable. It will blow your mind to discover the endless possibilities chocolate provides that go far beyond the commercial toffees present in shops. If you are someone who loves eating, watching, baking and doing everything with chocolate, this is your golden ticket to experience the real-life Willy Wonka world in the 21st century.
You can watch the first season of School of Chocolate now streaming on Netflix.
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