Toblerone ( , ) is a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

chocolate brand produced in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

. 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 Ho ...

, which had acquired Toblerone from owner Jacobs Suchard in 1990).

History

The Tobler chocolate factory was founded in 1899 by Emil Baumann &

Theodor Tobler Theodor Tobler (24 January 1876 – 4 May 1941) was a Swiss chocolatier and businessman, best known as the creator, along with Emil Baumann, of the Swiss chocolate brand Toblerone. Early life Tobler was born on 24 January 1876 in Bern to Johann ...

(1876–1941) in

. In 1908, Emil Baumann, the cousin of Theodor Tobler, created the unique recipe consisting of

milk chocolate Milk chocolate is a solid chocolate confectionery containing cocoa, sugar and milk. Chocolate was originally sold and consumed as a beverage in pre-Columbian times, and upon its introduction to Western Europe. Major milk chocolate producers incl ...

including nougat,

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

, and

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). Matterhorn Square

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 ...

in the

Swiss Alps The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swis ...

/ 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 Bergères 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 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 Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communic ...

and Ido. 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 in Bern. 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 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 Ho ...

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 i ...

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: Toblerone Cardineaux anzeigen 3 2 2 emaille

Toblerone Cardineaux anzeigen 3 2 2 emaille

Volkswagen Typ2 von Corgi Toys hergestellt mit Toberlone-Schilder

Toblerone ice-cream, Oldenburg (2018) 02

HK Sheung Wan Fook Sing Court Parkn Shop product Toblerone Nov-2012

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: In a white triangular box (1973) ;

Milk chocolate Milk chocolate is a solid chocolate confectionery containing cocoa, sugar and milk. Chocolate was originally sold and consumed as a beverage in pre-Columbian times, and upon its introduction to Western Europe. Major milk chocolate producers incl ...

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

ese 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 The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...

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 t ...

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 in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

(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 = , capi ...

). From winter of 2023 producer Mondelez will start additional limited production in slovak factory (known formerly as Figaro) in

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...

and will use a new form of bar wrapping, stating that the Toblerone brand was "created in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

". According to

rules, products produced abroad cannot be described as "

Similar products

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. 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 b ...

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 ...

, 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 ...

. UK comedy character Alan Partridge battled a longstanding addiction to Toblerones, which became a running gag of his TV series. The film '' Chicken Run'' briefly shows a Toblerone being used as a wheel chock 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 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 is ...

. She returned to politics in 1998. A triangular set of student residences on the Oxford Road, Manchester, for students of the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The university owns and operates majo ...

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 ...

series '' Neo Yokio''.

References

Bibliography

* Schott, Ben (2003). '' Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany''. London: Bloomsbury

External links

* {{Mondelez Mondelez International brands Brand name chocolate Chocolate bars Almonds Swiss confectionery Swiss chocolate 1990 mergers and acquisitions