Results: The History of Chocolate in Switzerland * Part Twenty-Two* TOBLERONE, HISTORY AND SECRETS

First associated with Suchard in the 1970s, the group was finally acquired by the Swiss-German industrialist Klaus Jacobs. The new Jacobs Suchard was then bought by the American Philip Morris. In 1985, Philip Morris Companies Inc. became a holding company and the parent of Philip Morris Inc. and bought General Foods. The acquisition of Kraft Foods came in 1988, after which Kraft and General Foods became Kraft General Foods. Were you aware Toblerone operates alongside LU, Milka, Oreo and Côte d'or within Modelez, a food multinational managed by the Philip Morris?

Although the company began to introduce new variations of the classic bar in 1969, it was extremely careful not to diversify its range too much. Thus, the first innovation is the dark chocolate, followed by the white, the filled in its blue packaging, the praline in 1997 and finally the Fruit & Nut, ten years later. And that's not to mention the mini versions, of course! Which versions have you enjoyed?

If the ingredients and the colors of the packaging change, the format of the pyramid bar remains ancestral… well almost. Let's talk about a flop, probably the most important in the history of the brand. In 2016, following the events of Brexit, the company decided to reduce its costs and reduced the weight of bars sold in the UK by 10%. As it does not want to touch the historical length, the decision is to space the pyramids. Did you know Toblerone was compared to a bike rack, as a result, rather than a mountain range?

Currently, the annual production of some 7 billion triangles (one piece for each inhabitant of the planet!) leaves the factory west of Berne, largely for export. And yes, 97% of the bars go to the four corners of the world. But a decision was recently announced: like brands like Milka and Suchard, part of the production will be moved to Bratislava in 2023. Thus, the bear will come down from its native Matterhorn to the High Tatras! The Made in Switzerland label was withdrawn. Does the place of manufacture impact your interest in Toblerone as a treat?