Great Chocolate Showdown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Chocolate Showdown |
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| Genre | Food reality television |
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| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (as of April 2022) |
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| Running time | 44 minutes |
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| Original network | Food Network Canada |
| Original release | February 4, 2020 – present |
Great Chocolate Showdown is a fun Canadian TV show. It's a cooking competition all about baking with chocolate! You can watch it on Food Network Canada. In the United States, it also airs on The CW Network.
The first season of the show started on February 4, 2020. The judges are Steven Hodge, Anna Olson, and Cynthia Stroud. One episode from the first season was even nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. The show has had three seasons so far, with the same judges each time.
The show works with Purdy's Chocolates. They are the "official chocolate sponsor." Sometimes, someone from Purdy's even helps present the challenges.
Contents
How the Show Works
Each season of Great Chocolate Showdown starts with 10 home bakers. These are people who love to bake but are not professional chefs. After each episode, one person is eliminated. This continues until only a few bakers are left for the finale. The finale decides who wins the whole season!
Each episode usually has two challenges:
- Technique Test: This challenge tests a specific baking skill. The winner often gets an advantage. They might even be safe from elimination.
- Chocolate Elimination Challenge: This is the main challenge. Bakers create amazing chocolate desserts. The person who does the best wins the challenge. The person who does not do well is eliminated.
The winner of the season gets a grand prize of $50,000. That's a lot of money for a home baker!
Season 1: The First Sweet Journey
The first season of Great Chocolate Showdown introduced 10 talented home bakers. They came from different places across Canada and the United States.
Season 1 Contestants
- Fadi Odeh – Dallas, Texas
- Casey Hallen – New York City, New York
- Craig Taylor – Vancouver, British Columbia
- Andrew Keen – Falls Church, Virginia
- Renu Mathew – Olds, Alberta
- T. Lawrence-Simon – Somerville, Massachusetts
- Venessa Liang – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Katie Rochin – Montreal, Quebec
- Trinity Andrew – Los Angeles, California
- Kathy Choffe — Aurora, Ontario
Season 1 Highlights
The bakers faced many exciting chocolate challenges. They had to temper chocolate, create desserts inspired by fruit, and even pair chocolate with spices. One challenge involved making a mirror glaze cake. Another asked them to reinvent the Black Forest Cake.
In the final challenge, the top bakers had to create a whole "bake shop." This included a centerpiece, six different chocolate treats, and special bonbons. They also made a dessert inspired by their very first creation on the show. Casey Hallen won the first season!
Season 2: More Chocolate Adventures
The second season brought 10 new home bakers to the kitchen. They were ready to show off their chocolate skills.
Season 2 Contestants
- Sheldon Taylor-Timothy, 30 – Rehabilitation Assistant and Bouncer, Toronto, Ontario
- Richard Martemucci, 56 – Retiree, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Tam Truong, 42 – Real Estate Appraiser
- Latice Williams, 37 – Dental Office Manager, McKinney, Texas
- Jujhar Mann, 21 – Student, Surrey, British Columbia
- Raphael Nishida, 32 – Commercial Operations Manager
- Saudat (Sabby) Atta, 25 – IT Manager, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Abbey White, 34 – Retail Operations Specialist
- Atikah Mohamed, 35 – Campus Administrator, Toronto, Ontario
- Ginny Lepp, 59 – Civil Servant, Toronto, Ontario
Season 2 Highlights
The challenges in Season 2 were just as creative. Bakers made chocolate desserts that showed their personality. They also used mystery ingredients and created galaxy mirror glaze cakes. Other tasks included making mini-cakes and gourmet donuts. One unique challenge was to show chocolate in solid, liquid, and gas forms! The final challenge asked the finalists to create a "fantasy chocolate bakeshop."
Season 3: New Bakers, New Treats
The third season continued the sweet competition with another group of passionate home bakers.
Season 3 Contestants
- Amber Horn, 43, Bartender, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Bri Brown, 33, Office Manager, Detroit, Michigan
- Connie Kazan, 42, Stay-at-home Mom, Dearborn, Michigan
- Evan Morgan-Newpher, 31, Zoo Guest Services Manager, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Gavan Knox, 44, Stay-at-home Dad, Scarborough, Ontario
- Ian Frias, 28, Finance Manager, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Lexi Christiansen, 24, Model, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Maile Crewdson, 35, Stay-at-home Mom, Maui, Hawaii
- Shyam Rethinavelu, 34, Fashion Stylist, San Francisco, California
- Vince Driver, 31, Freelance Artist, Atlanta, Georgia
Season 3 Highlights
Season 3 featured challenges like replicating a chocolate carousel and creating desserts inspired by items from a "Cabinet of Curiosities." Bakers also made playful choux desserts and ice cream sandwiches. They even had to use vegetables in their chocolate creations! Other challenges included making chocolate pasta and anti-gravity cakes. The finale had four parts, including an "Ode to a Loved One" dessert and a "Dazzling Showpiece."
Where Else to Watch
Great Chocolate Showdown is popular around the world.
- In the United States, The CW network started showing the series in January 2022.
- In Australia, the show premiered on the Lifestyle Food channel in November 2021.
