Chocolate Makers in Switzerland

Chocolate Makers and Chocolatiers: What is the difference?

The chocolate maker and the chocolatier have totally different tasks in the world of chocolate--each demanding precision and artistry. The chocolate maker, or manufacturer, produces chocolate for use by the chocolatier. The chocolate maker processes raw cacao beans into a final usable product such as chocolate bars, tablets, or couverture. Some chocolate makers own the entire process and are referred to as a bean-to-bar or single-origin manufacturers. Others chocolate maker sell only to chocolatiers who create chocolates for retail purchase. On a chocolate tour in Switzerland you’ll meet and work with both chocolate makers and chocolatiers.

Chocolate Maker: From Bean to Bar

The complicated journey from jungle bean to chocolate bar must be handled carefully with a master’s vision of the ideal delicious outcome. The chocolate maker manages the process of bringing out the best in every batch of beans. The cacao’s personality must be identified, magnified, maximized, and solidified in the making of a fine couverture chocolate. The chocolatier then takes over.

There are many special chocolate events throughtout the tour—create your own chocolate creation at a top chocolate artisans workshop, and taste their finest, explore single source chocolate from a dozen locales, take a tour of a real-life chocolate factory, visit Switzerland's smallest bean-to-bar workshop, and relax in a chocolate café with a cup of the world’s richest hot chocolate. Interspersed between the chocolate events you will also visit a medieval castle, explore Chaplin's World, ride a cog railway to a mountain summit, visit the home of Gruyere cheese, and other cultural and culinary delights.

Chocolate Makers in Switzerland

The following companies are all chocolate makers in Switzerland. Some of them such as Nestle and Lindt are household names and you've seen their products on store shelves throughout the world. Others are better known by their brand names. For example, Chocolat Halba makes Coop's house brand (the largest grocery stores in Switzerland), and Mondelez is the maker of Toblerone. Laderach sells their chocolate in their own Laderach chocolate shops located throughout Switzerland. Other companies such as Felchlin sell almost exclusively to chocolatiers.

CHOCOLAT ALPROSE SA
www.alprose.ch

BARRY CALLEBAUT SCHWEIZ AG
www.barry-callebaut.com

CHOCOLAT BERNRAIN AG
www.bernrain.ch

CHOCOLATS CAMILLE BLOCH SA
www.camillebloch.ch

CSCC COMPAGNIE DE CHOCOLATS ET CONFISERIES AG
www.pfisterchocolatier.ch

CHOCOLATS ET CACAOS FAVARGER SA
www.favarger.com

MAX FELCHLIN AG
www.felchlin.com

CHOCOLAT FREY AG
www.chocolatfrey.ch

GYSI AG CHOCOLATIER SUISSE
www.gysi.com

CHOCOLATS HALBA
www.chocolatshalba.ch

CONFISEUR LÄDERACH AG
www.laederach.ch

CHOCOLADEFABRIKEN LINDT & SPRÜNGLI (SCHWEIZ) AG
www.lindt.com