Jacques Torres

Fondly referred to as Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres is the authority on all things related to this confectionery delight. Raised in France, Jacques fulfilled his American dream in 2000 with the opening of his first chocolate factory, Jacques Torres Chocolate, in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Jacques was a pioneer—the first artisan chocolatier to start from cocoa beans to make his own chocolate. In 2013, he moved his production to a 40,000 sq. ft. chocolate manufacturing space at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Jacques prides himself on specializing in fresh, hand-crafted chocolates using premium ingredients free of preservatives and artificial flavors. He has served as Executive Pastry Chef at Le Cirque for 12 years, has hosted several of his own series on Food Network and PBS, as well as written three cookbooks. He received numerous awards over the years, including The James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year Award in 1994 and induction 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 and was given the highest honor in France, The Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. In March 2018, Netflix released worldwide to 190 countries a baking competition show, Nailed It!, on which Jacques is the featured Head Judge of the internationally successful series. The show was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Competition Program. He has retail locations in New York City.