Who is Netflix’s School of Chocolate host, Amaury Guichon? The charming French pastry chef is the most-followed chocolatier on Instagram and creates stunning edible art in the new reality series
Netflix’s reality series, School of Chocolate, offers a refreshing take on culinary competitions – and has a charming and talented host to boot.
Amaury Guichon, 30-year-old French chocolate artist, has become the most-followed pastry chef on social media and is world-famous for his fascinating works of edible art sculpted from chocolate.
School of Chocolate, as the show’s title suggests, is more like a school than a cutthroat competition. The participants, who are chefs, entrepreneurs, instructors and restaurant owners in their own right, come in as “students” who are keen to unlearn what they’ve become used to and to relearn new tips and tricks from Guichon.
The best part? No one gets eliminated. Instead, throughout the challenges, the superstar chocolatier patiently schools contestants through with positive reinforcement and constructive criticism, offers help when asked for, and is generous with his knowledge.
If you’re wondering how Guichon turned out to be the pastry genius that he is today, we’ve dug up a few fun facts on him below.
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He landed in the kitchen at an early age
Guichon spent most of his childhood in the Haute-Savoie region of France, and at the young age of 14, he already had an inkling that the traditional school curriculum wasn’t for him and so he left for vocational school, according to About Her.
He studied cooking for two years at France’s Thonon-les-Bains, but was eventually lured to follow his true passion – pastries – and so he went off to Geneva, Switzerland for a two-year apprenticeship to hone his craft. He then took a two-year curriculum of advanced pastry skills at the Maison Lenôtre in Paris, France.
School of Chocolate isn’t his first TV appearance or reality show
In 2013, back in his home country, Guichon became qualified to participate in the reality TV show Qui Sera le Prochain Grand Pâtissier? or Who Will be The Next Great Pastry Chef? Under the mentorship of famous pastry chefs, Guichon competed against other up-and-coming patissiers and won third place.
His big break was thanks in large part to social media
It was around 2016 when Guichon decided to reveal his works on social media. On YouTube and Instagram, he took his followers into his chocolate workshop, giving them a glimpse into how he makes his art. Audiences responded to how detailed, well-crafted and meticulous he was, and his realistic, larger-than-life works of chocolate deserved all the attention they were getting.
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To date, Guichon’s YouTube account boasts more than 200,000 subscribers, while his Instagram has 4.8 million followers.
He’s both a student and teacher of life
Ever-curious, always thinking out of the box, and overflowing with bright ideas, Guichon is born to be an artist – and there’s no telling what he’ll create next. He’s travelled the world extensively and has taught his craft in more than 20 places, from Europe to America to Asia, through his series of masterclasses. He has also set up The Pastry Academy and continues to work as a consultant and instructor.
The chocolate architect has also published a book called The Art of Flavour, which takes readers across the globe via Guichon’s signature creations, coupled with his best techniques and secrets, recipes and comprehensive guides.
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His wife is behind the captivating photos of his masterpieces
Guichon is married to Fiona Guichon, who is quite an artist herself. She owns a tattoo shop and is a very skilled photographer – as one will see in chef Guichon’s social media posts. Thanks to his wife’s beautiful photos, Guichon’s chocolate masterpieces have been brought to the spotlight, vividly coming to life on our screens.
- The 30-year-old French chocolate artist is married to talented photographer Fiona Guichon, who often snaps stunning photos of his masterpieces for social media
- Guichon shares his recipes in his book The Art of Flavour, and he’s travelled across Europe and Asia to teach classes on how to create chocolate sculptures