Fondly referred to as Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres is the authority on all things related to chocolate. He began his apprenticeship at 15 at the best pastry shop in Bandol, a small town in the south of France. In 1986, Jacques was awarded the prestigious M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) medal in pastry. He was (and still is) the youngest pastry chef in history to earn the distinction; he was only 26. A pioneer in the bean-to-bar movement, Torres opened his first chocolate store and factory in New York in 2000. He was named the James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year in 1994 and inducted into the foundation's Who’s Who of American Food & Beverage in 2003. Most recently, he joined the Emmy award-winning Netflix series "Nailed It!" as head judge in 2018. Jacques makes his home in New York City, and is married to a fellow chocolatier.