Jacques Torres

Jacques Torres, commonly known as "Mr. Chocolate," is a renowned French pastry chef and chocolatier who has made significant strides within the culinary world. Torres has dedicated his career to mastering the art of chocolate, culminating in the opening of his first chocolate factory, Jacques Torres Chocolate, in Brooklyn, New York, in 2000. The chef's commitment to quality is evident as he was the first artisan chocolatier to start from cocoa beans to make his own chocolate. Furthering his innovation in the field, he moved his production to a state-of-the-art chocolate manufacturing plant in Brooklyn in 2013.

Torres' journey has been well documented through his television shows "Dessert Circus with Jacques Torres," "Chocolate with Jacques Torres," "Passion for Chocolate with Jacques Torres," "Passion for Pastry with Jacques Torres," "Next Great Baker," "Nailed It!," and "Nailed It! Holiday!" Furthermore, he has been a judge on Season 4 of "Next Great Baker" and judge and co-host on the cooking comedy show "Nailed It!" alongside Nicole Byer. The chef also shares his expertise through his three cookbooks, including two Dessert Circus books, and serves as Dean of Pastry Arts at the International Culinary Center.

Over the years, Torres has received several accolades for his contributions to the culinary field. Notably, he received The James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year Award in 1994 and was later inducted into The James Beard Who's Who of American Food & Beverage Award in 2003. In 2016, he was inducted into the Chocolate Hall of Fame by Dessert Professional Magazine. Beyond his achievements, Torres has made strides in educating the public about chocolate, as evidenced by his opening of New York's first-ever chocolate museum, "Choco-Story New York, Chocolate Museum and Experience with Jacques Torres," in 2017.