🎬✨ Our chocolate maker Elisabetta recently joined the adventure of the second season of “Les Étoiles du Chocolat Belge” on RTBF, hosted by the ever-energetic Adrien Devyver. For young chocolatiers like Elisabetta, the competition represented far more than a television experience; it was a unique opportunity to share her passion, meet fellow artisans, and challenge herself alongside some of Belgium’s most talented chocolate professionals.

Out of countless candidates from across the country, only 15 chocolatiers were selected to participate in this exciting new season. Together, they competed through spectacular chocolate creations for an extraordinary reward: a trip to Japan for the World Expo Osaka 2025. 🇯🇵🍫

The contestants were divided into three teams and faced a series of creative challenges blending technique, imagination, and artistic expression. Their very first mission was ambitious: recreate, as a stunning trompe-l’œil chocolate masterpiece, the favorite dish of Belgian personalities David Jeanmotte, Livia Dushkoff, and Joëlle Scoriels, who accompanied the teams throughout the competition.

The opening episode showcased impressive chocolate sculptures, intricate artistic work, and refined pralines. But Elisabetta approached the challenge in her own very personal way.

To be honest, giant chocolate sculptures were not really her thing. Rather than focusing all her energy on creating monumental decorative pieces, she chose to stay true to what she genuinely loves most: crafting elegant and deeply flavorful pralines. For her, chocolate is above all about emotion, taste, balance, and the pleasure shared through small creations made with precision and heart.

The competition itself was also quite unusual. The casting brought together an eclectic mix of professionals: pastry chefs, bakers, confectioners, traditional chocolatiers, and even bean-to-bar makers. Elisabetta often joked that it felt like throwing croissants, caramels, and cacao nibs into the same basket and somehow expecting the jury to compare them fairly!

For the tasting challenge, she presented a decadent praline called “Bleu de Toi”, a poetic Belgian expression meaning to be completely and hopelessly in love with someone. And apparently, the jury fell in love too.

Her creation won over some of Belgium’s greatest names in chocolate, including Pierre Marcolini, Jean-Philippe Darcis, and chocolate expert Victoire Finaz, who praised the originality, balance, and emotion behind her praline.

For Elisabetta, this experience was not only a competition, but also a beautiful reminder of why she chose this profession in the first place: to create chocolates that tell stories, spark emotions, and bring people together through passion and craftsmanship.

And honestly… we could not be prouder of her. 🍫✨

With her golden ticket secured, Elisabetta made a bold and instinctive choice: joining the Blue Team, mentored by renowned chocolate expert Victoire Finaz. Alongside her stood three other strong personalities, Tom, Steve, and Virginia, each bringing their own style, creativity, and ambitions into the competition. From the very beginning, the atmosphere was electric, mixing excitement, curiosity, teamwork, and just a touch of rivalry.

For their very first challenge, the contestants were immediately thrown into the deep end with a task that was as technical as it was playful: creating a spectacular trompe-l’œil version of Belgium’s most iconic comfort food, moules-frites. Mussels, fries, the casserole... everything had to be made entirely out of chocolate while looking astonishingly real. The judges were searching for precision, creativity, and above all, the magic of illusion.

Elisabetta was paired with Virginia for this challenge, forming a duo as talented as unpredictable. Turning such a savory and deeply Belgian dish into an elegant chocolate creation proved far more complicated than expected. Different ideas, different approaches, and the pressure of the competition quickly created a lively and intense dynamic between the two contestants.

But one thing was certain: their creation would not go unnoticed. 🍫✨

Episode 2 raised the stakes with a challenge that was as daring as it was refined. This time, the contestants were asked to reinterpret, entirely in chocolate, the signature lobster dish of Michelin-starred chef Manon Schenck, awarded Lady Chef of the Year 2023.

In the picturesque town of Durbuy, often called the smallest city in the world, the nine remaining contestants first discovered and tasted the chef’s sophisticated creation. Their mission was far from simple: transform the flavors, textures, and emotions of the dish into both a delicate chocolate praline and an impressive artistic showpiece.

After the elimination of Virginia during the previous moules-frites challenge, the blue team was reduced to only three contestants. Elisabetta felt the change deeply. Beyond losing her partner-in-crime, she suddenly found herself somewhat isolated within the team dynamic.

But the competition moved on quickly. Creativity, precision, and bold imagination became essential to impress Chef Manon Schenck, who would evaluate each creation blindly, while the always-charismatic David Jeanmotte had the delicate task of presenting the teams’ chocolate interpretations to the jury.

At stake was a direct qualification for the next round. Despite their determination and hard work, however, the blue team fell just short of victory. In the end, it was the yellow team, mentored by Pierre Marcolini, that captured the spotlight and secured a direct ticket to the semi-finals. 🍫✨

Things were already looking fragile for the blue team, but for Elisabetta, nothing was lost yet. One final opportunity remained: a decisive redemption challenge centered around the creation of a bonsai tree made entirely out of chocolate. A symbol of patience, balance, and perfection, the bonsai demanded not only technical precision, but also calmness under immense pressure.

With only a few hours to complete the challenge, the contestants had to push their creativity and craftsmanship to the limit. At the end of the test, only two teams would continue the adventure and secure their place in the semi-final.

Episode 2 truly turned up the heat. Under the watchful eyes of Pierre Marcolini, Jean-Philippe Darcis, and Victoire Finaz, the pressure inside the kitchen became intense. Dreams, emotions, and ambitions collided as the competition narrowed from nine contestants down to only six semi-finalists.

Unfortunately, the bonsai challenge marked the end of Elisabetta’s journey in the competition. But she left with her head held high, proud of having stayed true to herself and of giving everything she had until the very last moment.

And in one final twist, the evening also marked the departure of Chef Victoire Finaz, bringing an emotional close to an unforgettable adventure filled with passion, creativity, and chocolate. 🍫✨