Food Factory: Night Shift

With the Sacramento State Fair in full swing—and with hundreds of gourmet BLTs on the line—executive chef Keith Breedlove and his team are feeling the heat. The drama starts at the bakery with a batch of badly burned brioche buns and intensifies at dawn with no-show bacon and tomatoes that are still green on the vine. Meanwhile, there’s no room for error as a team of Pennsylvania ice sculptors race to finish an ambitious commission for a high-profile wedding. But things get off to a rough start when their trusted computer makes a major blunder that has everyone breaking a sweat.

It’s down to the wire as a family-run Toronto bakery prepares a mammoth order for one of the world’s most prestigious hotel chains. The Four Seasons Hotel is hosting a posh brunch for Mother’s Day. But just as the exhausted bakers are wrapping up the night shift, their number one client makes a last-minute request for even more bagels. Meanwhile, the overnight team at Toronto’s Village Juicery is scrambling to keep up with demand for its organic cold-pressed juice. And just as soon as they’ve fulfilled a special order for a client, a bitter taste test reveals they’ve got to start over—with only an hour to spare.

A Toronto team prepares thousands of nutritious meals every night for preschoolers across the city. But with rigorous health regulations and their clients’ picky palettes in mind, an over-spiced kettle of soup has the chefs heading back to the cutting board just hours before delivery. Meanwhile, it’s Sunday at 2 a.m. and the team at Homestyle Desserts Bakery is rolling up their sleeves. Their mission is to prepare enough carrot cake for hundreds of hungry passengers on board a New York City brunch cruise. But when their order suddenly doubles, they find themselves seriously short on carrots and at risk of missing the boat.

After last year’s second-place finish, a team of Ohio taco artists is determined to win the grand prize at the annual gourmet food truck competition. For starters, they’ll need enough grub to feed nearly a thousand people. And even though they hit the ground running, an early setback puts their mobile restaurant in the fast lane. Meanwhile, when a prestigious ladies’ golf club orders a signature dessert, it’s up to a skilled team of Toronto bakers to make it happen. Their complex creation includes edible pearls, a dramatic swirl of chocolate, and a French pastry that’s nearly impossible to perfect. But even with all hands on deck, a blunder at 3 a.m. could cause a catastrophic meltdown.

Trying to stay cool in the desert, a Sin City baking crew has just one night to finish a two-day job. Tackling several last-minute wedding cakes—including a three-tiered ode to Elvis—they’ve got no margin for error. So when the Vegas heat causes a sticky situation, the results could be disastrous. In Welland, Ontario, it’s up to a local catering company to feed hundreds of hungry athletes competing in the world dragon boat championships. The logistical demands are off the charts, but that doesn’t mean the boss is prepared to compromise on quality. The assembly line runs like clockwork. That is, until a last-minute check reveals a glaring error.

A mega fish order from Harvard University means an early start for a crew of Cape Cod fisherman. But it’s Mother Nature who dictates the unpredictable haul, and heading back empty-handed is not an option. Meanwhile, the campus is slowly waking up and the executive chefs still don’t know what’s for lunch! With a prestigious cooking school expecting only the finest ingredients, two Ontario farmers scour their fields for the most delectable corn and beets. Armed with flashlights, their search hits an unexpected snag and later, the heat is on as a class of wannabe chefs puts these farm fresh veggies to the ultimate test.

With today’s catch destined to impress the state’s top seafood experts, it’s all hands on deck as a Louisiana fishing boat heads out on a special 3 a.m. mission. Committed to freshness, the crew sorts and freezes the shrimp on board. But when a mechanical breakdown threatens to spoil the catch, they must fix the problem fast or head back to the dock. Meanwhile, a Toronto catering company is preparing thousands of meals for travellers at the country’s busiest airport, and their tight delivery window means everything must arrive on time or else. At first, it looks like the team is ahead of schedule. That is, until heavy rains cause flight delays and they get a last-minute order for more food.

The cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs are celebrating a major milestone, and when they order 440 birthday cakes to mark the occasion, it’s up to a small army of bakers to make it happen. Baked from scratch, it will take six hours and several batches to fulfill the massive order. And that’s if everything goes according to plan. Meanwhile, it’s full steam ahead as an overnight kitchen crew prepares 250 gourmet meals for the passengers of an historic Colorado train ride. The first-class menu must be on par with the spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery. Though the caffeinated chef seems to have everything under control, a salmon setback and missing sous chef could derail everything.