The Tobler chocolate factory was founded in 1899 by Emil Baumann (1880–1960) & Theodor Tobler (1876–1941) in Bern.[5] At the time, the Swiss chocolate industry was expanding dramatically as recently invented milk chocolate became widespread. In 1908, Emil Baumann, the cousin of Theodor Tobler, created the unique recipe consisting of milk chocolate including white nougat, almonds, and honey. Theodor Tobler came up with the distinctive triangular shape and packaging. The product's name is a combination of Tobler's name and the Italian word torrone (a type of nougat).[6][7][8]
The Matterhorn in the Alps served as inspiration for the bar shape.
The triangular shape of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps/Italian Alps is commonly believed to have given Theodor Tobler his inspiration for the shape of Toblerone. However, according to Theodor's sons, the triangular shape originates from a pyramid shape that dancers at the Folies Bergère created as the finale of a show that Theodor saw.[9] Another source of inspiration could have been the similar triangular packaging of the Delta Peter brand.[10] Nevertheless, a silhouette of the Matterhorn appears on the modern Toblerone packaging, as seen in the photo above right. An outline of a bear, the symbol of Bern, is also depicted on the mountain on the packaging.
Theodor Tobler applied for a patent for the Toblerone manufacturing process in Bern in 1909.[9] The Toblerone brand was trademarked the same year, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern.[11]Albert Einstein, who was working at the institute as a clerk, might have been involved in the patenting. Toblerone was thus the first patented milk chocolate bar.[12] It is probably also one of the oldest candy bars using milk chocolate, although not the first one; the Branche, another iconic product of the Swiss chocolate industry, had been launched a few years earlier.[13]
A Toblerone version made of dark chocolate was launched in 1969. A white version was launched in 1973.[14]
Some early advertisements for Tobler chocolate appeared in the international languages Esperanto[15] and Ido.[16]
The Tobler company was independent for many years. In 1970, it merged with Suchard, the makers of Milka, to become Interfood. After the Tobler & Suchard merger it was decided to create a new and single source for marketing & exporting the various products manufactured by both companies worldwide, Multifood. Max E. Baumann, the son of Emil Baumann, was made director of this new division. Tobler & Suchard companies merged with the Jacobs coffee company in 1982 to create Jacobs Tobler & Suchard. Kraft Foods Inc acquired the majority of Jacobs Suchard, including Toblerone, in 1990; in 2012, it was spun off (alongside several other brands) to Mondelēz.
Sizes and variants
Bar sizes range from ten centimetres to nearly one metre, all similarly proportioned. According to Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany the sizes and number of peaks for Toblerones are as follows:
1920s advertisementAdvertising in the 1960s included the production of a model Volkswagen Type 2 by Corgi Toys, featuring Toblerone designs on its side panels.Toblerone ice creamToblerone displays in Hong Kong
Size(g)
Tiny
Mini
35 g
50 g
75 g
100 g
150 g
200 g
360 g
750 g
4.5 kg
Size (oz)
1.2 oz
1.7 oz
2.6 oz
3.5 oz
5.3 oz
7.0 oz
12.7 oz
26.5 oz
159 oz
Peaks
3
3
8
11
11
12
9
10
11
17
12
For the yearly Toblerone Schoggifest, a special oversized bar is created to celebrate the bar's anniversary. The bar's weight represents the years of Toblerone, with the first bar in 2008 weighing 100 kg.[17]
Since the 1970s, other variants of Toblerone have been produced. These include:
Released in 1997, a single peaked version in the distinctive beige packaging
Fruit & Nut
In 2007 with a half purple triangular cardboard box
Honeycomb crisp
With a half white box with honeycomb pieces pictured on it (2009)
Crunchy Salted Almond
With honey and almond nougat and salted caramelised almonds
Berner Bär
500g milk chocolate bar, with a relief portrait of the Bernese Bear and the Coat of arms of Bern on its face. The only non-triangular Toblerone.[18]
Toblerone Tobelle
Toblerone thins in a beige triangular box:
Crispy Coconut
With honey and almond nougat and coconut
Golden Caramel
Caramel with honey and almond nougat
Tobler Truffles
Limited edition, with personalizable box (2022)
2016 size changes
In 2016, the 400g and 170g bars in the United Kingdom were modified to have two peaks removed and larger gaps between the peaks, which reduced the cost of making the bars by cutting the weight by about 10%, to 360g and 150g, while retaining the same package size and retail price. Other sizes were unaffected. The change was not well received,[19][20][21] with one MSP calling for "government action" by the Scottish Parliament over the change.[22] In 2018 the bar reverted to its original shape, and the 170g/150g bar was replaced by a 200g bar.[23]
Manufacturing
In the past it was manufactured in other locations including Bedford in England, and Dundee in Scotland from the 1930s up to 1969.[24] In the 1970s and 1980s, it was manufactured under licence in Yugoslavia by Kraš in Zagreb (now in Croatia).[citation needed]
Producer Mondelez planned to start additional limited production from the end of 2023 in a Slovak factory[25] (known formerly as Figaro) in Bratislava. Swiss rules introduced in 2017 mandate that indicators of Swiss provenance such as packaging stating "Swiss" and showing images typical of Switzerland may not be used, so the bars will be labelled "created in Switzerland", and the image of the Swiss Matterhorn will be replaced by a "modernised and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic".[26]
Ingredients in a traditional Toblerone bar include sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, honey (3%), milk fat, almonds (1.6%), emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), egg white, flavouring, cocoa solids (28%) and milk solids (14%).[27]
Similar products
By 1920, the popular Toblerone recipe already faced competition from other manufacturers, for instance from another Swiss manufacturer, Cailler, who launched the Chocmel tablet that year.[28] Another comparable chocolate made in Switzerland (in this case both for the ingredients and shape) is Mahony, produced by Frey.[29][30]
A similar product is the Croatian product Kolumbo, made by factory Kraš from Zagreb. This chocolate is also composed of pyramids of hazelnuts and honey. Kraš was producing Toblerone under licence during the 1970s and 1980s.[citation needed]
In July 2017, in response to Toblerone's 2016 reduction in size, UK variety store chain Poundland launched its own version of Toblerone called "Twin Peaks", which is larger than the modified Toblerone bar.[31]
Cultural impact
Moss-covered anti-tank pyramids, commonly referred to as "Toblerones"
The distinct pyramidal shape of the bar lent its name to the Toblerone line, a series of anti-tank emplacements from World War II era, prevalent in Switzerland's border areas.[32][33][34]
The interior of the Tobler factory in Switzerland was the location where the title sequence of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was filmed. However, the majority of the film was produced in West Germany.[35]
UK comedy character Alan Partridge battled a longstanding addiction to Toblerones, which became a running gag of his TV series.[36]
In 1995, it was revealed that the Swedish politician Mona Sahlin had misused her government-issued credit card for unauthorised purchases. Because she had bought, among many other more expensive items, two bars of Toblerone, pro-Sahlin journalists attempted to downplay her abuse of parliamentary financial privileges as the "Toblerone affair", but Sahlin was nevertheless forced to step down as a Prime Ministerial candidate. She returned to politics in 1998.[37]
^"Tobler". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in French). 18 December 2013. [His son Theodor entered the business in 1894 and in 1899 set up a chocolate factory, whose products were very successful.]
^Gilomen, Hans-Jörg (2001). Innovationen: Voraussetzungen und Folgen, Antriebskräfte und Widerstände [Innovations: prerequisites and consequences, driving forces and resistance] (in German). Chronos. p. 146. ISBN9783034005180. [Presumably since the beginning of the 1890s, milk chocolate was also sold in small, triangular portions in pressed powder form and a triangular packaging under the name "Delta Peter" - a forerunner of the Toblerone launched by Theodor Tobler in 1908!]
^Chrystal, Paul (2021). Rowntrees: The Early History. Pen & Sword Books. p. 62. ISBN9781526778925. Prudently, Theodor Tobler and his then company, Tobler AG, applied for a patent in 1909 in Bern to cover the manufacture and shape of the bar, and Toblerone thus became the first patented milk chocolate bar. The official who gave the authorising signature was one Albert Einstein who was working in the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern at the time.
^Meo, Carlo (2012). Design marketing. Innovare cambiando i significati del consumo (in Italian). Milan: Gruppo 24 Ore. p. 53. ISBN9788863454413. Nasce così una delle aziende che hanno fatto la storia e la fortuna del cioccolato [...] le leggendarie Branches (1904) [Thus was born one of the companies that made the history and fortune of chocolate [...] the legendary Branches (1904)]
^Salzmann, Claudia. "Dreieckige Ikone aus der Länggasse". Der Bund. Retrieved 1 April 2023. 1920: In 120 Ländern erhältlich, Tobler führt Kleinformate ein. Nestle und andere handeln Kopien wie Costarone, Salvirone, Tamborine und Chocmel. [1920: Available in 120 countries, Tobler introduces small formats. Nestle and others sell copies such as Costarone, Salvirone, Tamborine and Chocmel.]
^"Toblerone maintains peak performance". Confectionery Production. 26 July 2019. The product has encountered rivals during its 111 year history, including a similar Kolumbo bar in Croatia, and Swiss company Chocolate Frey's triangular Mahony bars.
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