Toblerone ( , ) is a Swiss chocolate brand produced in Bern. Toblerone is known for its distinctive shape, a series of joined
triangular prism
In geometry, a triangular prism is a three-sided prism; it is a polyhedron made of a triangular base, a translated copy, and 3 faces joining corresponding sides. A right triangular prism has rectangular sides, otherwise it is ''oblique''. A ...
s and lettering engraved in the chocolate.
Since 2012, the brand has been owned by US company
Mondelez International
Mondelez International, Inc. ( ), often styled Mondelēz, is an American multinational confectionery, food, holding and beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual revenue of about $26 billion and operates in ...
(successor of
Kraft Foods Inc.
Kraft Foods Inc. was a multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It marketed many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earned more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell H ...
, which had acquired Toblerone from owner Jacobs Suchard in 1990).
History
The Tobler chocolate factory was founded in 1899 by Emil Baumann & Theodor Tobler (1876–1941) in Bern. In 1908, Emil Baumann, the cousin of Theodor Tobler, created the unique recipe consisting of milk chocolate including
nougat
Nougat ( , ; ; az, nuqa; fa, نوقا) is a family of confections made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. ...
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
. Theodor Tobler came up with the distinctive triangular shape and packaging. The product's name is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordstorrone'' (a type of nougat).
The triangular shape of the
Matterhorn
The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...
Italian Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
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
The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...
s created as the finale of a show that Theodor saw. Another source of inspiration could have been the similar triangular packaging of the Delta Peter brand. Nevertheless, a
silhouette
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
of the Matterhorn appears on the modern Toblerone packaging, as seen in the photo above right. A bear, the symbol of Bern, is also depicted on the Toblerone logo.
Some early advertisements for Tobler chocolate appeared in the international languages Esperanto and
Ido
Ido () is a constructed language derived from Reformed Esperanto, and similarly designed with the goal of being a universal second language for people of diverse backgrounds. To function as an effective ''international auxiliary language'', I ...
.
Theodor Tobler applied for a patent for the Toblerone manufacturing process in Bern in 1909. The Toblerone brand was trademarked in 1909, at the
Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (French: ''Institut fédéral de la propriété intellectuelle'', IPI; German: ''Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum'', IGE; Italian: ''Istituto federale della proprietà intellet ...
in Bern.
The Tobler company was independent for many years. In 1970, it merged with Suchard, the makers of
Milka
Milka is a brand of chocolate confectionery, originally made in Switzerland in 1901 by Suchard. It has then been produced in Lörrach, Germany for the past 100 years. Since 2012 it has been owned by US-based company Mondelez International, when ...
, 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
Kraft Foods Inc. was a multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It marketed many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earned more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell H ...
acquired the majority of Jacobs Suchard, including Toblerone, in 1990; in 2012, it was spun off (alongside several other brands) to
Mondelēz
Mondelez International, Inc. ( ), often styled Mondelēz, is an American multinational confectionery, food, holding and beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual revenue of about $26 billion and operates in ...
.
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:
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.
Since the 1970s, other variants of Toblerone have been produced. These include:
; Plain chocolate: in a yellow triangular box (1969)
; Dark chocolate in a black triangular box
;
White chocolate
White chocolate is a confectionery typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter. It is pale ivory colored, and lacks many of the compounds found in milk and dark chocolates. It is solid at room temperature because the melting point of cocoa ...
: In a white triangular box (1973)
; Milk chocolate Mint Crisp: In a white/green triangular box (1985)
; Snowtop: Editions with white chocolate peaks, also in a white/silver triangular box
; Filled editions: Milk chocolate with a white chocolate centre (blue triangular box)
; OneByOne: Individually wrapped triangular chunks
; Toblerone Pralines: 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
The coat of arms of Bern, along with the associated flag and heraldic colours, are used both by the Swiss city of Bern and by the canton of the same name. They were also used by the former district of Bern until its abolition in 2009.
The coat ...
on its face. The only non-triangular Toblerone.
; 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
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 each peak, which cut the weight of the bars and reduced costs while retaining the same package size and retail price. This change reduced the weights of the aforementioned bars to 360g and 150g respectively; other sizes of bar were unaffected. The change was not well received, with one MSP calling for "government action" by the Scottish Parliament over the change. In 2018, it was announced that the bars would revert to its original shape, and the 170g (150g) bar would be replaced by a 200g bar.
Manufacturing
In the past it has been manufactured in other locations including
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
in England, as well as Dundee in Scotland from the 1930s up to 1969. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was manufactured under licence for the Yugoslav market by
Kraš
Kraš () is a Croatian food company based in Zagreb, specializing in confectionery products. In 2012, Kraš was, after Podravka, the second largest Croatian exporter of food.
History
The company traces its origins from two factories from the e ...
in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
(present-day
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
).
From winter of 2023 producer Mondelez will start additional limited production in slovak factory (known formerly as Figaro) in Bratislava and will use a new form of bar wrapping, stating that the Toblerone brand was "created in Switzerland". According to Swiss rules, products produced abroad cannot be described as " Swiss".
Similar products
A similar product is the Croatian product Kolumbo, made by factory
Kraš
Kraš () is a Croatian food company based in Zagreb, specializing in confectionery products. In 2012, Kraš was, after Podravka, the second largest Croatian exporter of food.
History
The company traces its origins from two factories from the e ...
from Zagreb. This chocolate is also composed of pyramids of hazelnuts and honey. Kraš was producing Toblerone under licence during the 1970s and 1980s.
Another comparable product is Mahony, produced by the company Chocolat-Frey AG in Switzerland.
In July 2017, in response to Toblerone's 2016 reduction in size, UK variety store chain
Poundland
Poundland is a British variety store chain founded in 1990. It once sold most items at the single price of £1, including clearance items and proprietary brands. The first pilot store opened in December 1990 following numerous rejections by ...
launched its own version of Toblerone called "Twin Peaks", which is larger than the modified Toblerone bar.
Cultural impact
The distinct pyramidal shape of the bar lent its name to the
Toblerone line
The Toblerone line is a 10 km long defensive line made of " dragon's teeth" fortifications built during the Second World War between Bassins and Prangins, in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. These lines of defensive blocks can be found ...
, a series of anti-tank emplacements from World War two era, prevalent in Switzerland's border areas.
The interior of the Tobler factory in Switzerland was the location where the title sequence of ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'' was filmed. However, the majority of the film was produced in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
UK comedy character
Alan Partridge
Alan Gordon Partridge is a comedy character portrayed by the English actor Steve Coogan. A parody of British television personalities, Partridge is a tactless and inept broadcaster with an inflated sense of celebrity. Since his debut in 1991, h ...
battled a longstanding addiction to Toblerones, which became a running gag of his TV series.
The film ''
Chicken Run
''Chicken Run'' is a 2000 stop-motion animated comedy film produced by Pathé and Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. Aardman’s first feature-length film and DreamWorks Animation's fourth film, it was directed by ...
'' briefly shows a Toblerone being used as a
wheel chock
Wheel chocks (or chocks) are wedges of sturdy material placed closely against a vehicle's wheels to prevent accidental movement. Chocks are placed for safety in addition to setting the brakes. The bottom surface is sometimes coated in rubber ...
for the flying machine in the climax (the packaging being changed to read "Tasty Choc" both as a pun and to avoid trademark issues).
In 1995, it was revealed that the Swedish politician
Mona Sahlin
Mona Ingeborg Sahlin ( born 9 March 1957) is a Swedish politician who was leader of the opposition and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 2007 to 2011.
Sahlin was a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 198 ...
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". These attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, and Sahlin was forced to step down as a candidate for the post as
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
. She returned to politics in 1998.
A triangular set of student residences on the Oxford Road, Manchester, for students of the
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...
built circa 1975 and resembling the chocolate bar are known as the Toblerones.
The largest-sized Toblerone in production is featured as a
running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
in the 2017
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
series ''
Neo Yokio
is an adult animated web series, streaming television series created by Ezra Koenig of American rock band Vampire Weekend, and produced by Japanese anime studios Production I.G. and Studio Deen. The first season, consisting of six episodes, prem ...