Cailler is a Swiss chocolate brand and production factory based in Broc. It was founded in Vevey by François-Louis Cailler in 1819 and remained independent until the early 20th century, when it associated with other producers. Shortly before, Cailler opened its main factory at Broc in 1898. The company was finally bought by Nestlé in 1929 and became a brand.[1][2] Cailler is the oldest chocolate brand still in existence in Switzerland.
History
François-Louis Cailler was born in Vevey, Switzerland in 1796. Together with Abram L. C. Cusin, Cailler first opened a grocery shop in Vevey in 1818, where chocolate was also sold. At that time, chocolate was essentially considered as a tonic rather than a delicacy, and transport of raw ingredients was slow and difficult. Cailler soon opened his first chocolate factory in neighbouring Corsier-sur-Vevey in 1819. It is considered one of the first modern chocolate factories.[3] The factory allowed Cailler to produce solid and affordable chocolate, that was moulded into tablets or small blocks.[4][5][6] Cailler was successful and, after a few years, he proposed sixteen different sorts of chocolate with different packagings.[7] Among popular products were pur caraque and commun sucré, which were also exported outside Switzerland. Vanilla and cinnamon flavoured chocolate bars were also made by Cailler.[5] Chocolate production increased with the opening of two other factories in Corsier and Vevey in 1832 and 1840. The factories were located on the Canal de la Monneresse and were water powered.[1][8] François-Louis Cailler died in 1852 and his wife Louise-Albertine continued to run the company along with their sons, Auguste and Alexandre.[1]
In 1898, Alexandre-Louis Cailler (grandson of François-Louis Cailler) opened the current factory of Broc.[2] The following year, the dedicated hydroelectrical plant on the Jogne was commissioned, allowing the electrification of the entire village of Broc. The waters of the Jogne had been diverted by means of a one-kilometre-long tunnel, allowing an electrical production of 2000 HP through a 44-metre fall.[10] In 1912, was inaugurated the Bulle-Broc-Fabrique railway, which replaced horse-drawn goods convoys to Bulle, the major town in the area.[11] Chocolate, notably including milk chocolate using milk from local dairies, began to be produced on a massive scale.[1] A foreman who previously worked for Daniel Peter helped Cailler develop this new type of chocolate, which would become particularly successful.[12] The number of workers grew from 76 in 1898 to 630 in 1901. The number of workers peaked in 1930, at 1796.[13]
Meanwhile, in 1904, Daniel Peter and Charles-Amédée Kohler (son of Charles-Amédée Kohler who founded Chocolat Kohler in 1830) became partners and founded the Société générale suisse des chocolats Peter et Kohler réunis. in 1911, the company created by Peter and Kohler merged with Cailler.[14] In 1929, Peter, Cailler, Kohler, Chocolats Suisses S.A. finally merged with the Nestlé group.[14] Until 1951, Nestlé used all three names Peter Cailler Kohler for its chocolates, which were then commonly referred to as the PCK brand.[15] Nestlé ultimately retained the Cailler brand and signature for the chocolate made in Broc.[2]
World War I mobilization poster for the Swiss Army by PCK
In 2006, Cailler packaging was revamped under the leadership of Nelly Wenger (head of Expo.02). New transparent plastic boxes were designed by architect Jean Nouvel (also involved in Expo.02). The change was met with criticism and, following price increases, Cailler products were boycotted by some retailers.[16] In 2007, the plastic packaging has been discontinued.[17][18]
Location
The Broc factory complex in the early 20th century, with the former hydroelectric power plant on the Jogne (center), and the modern plant (upper left)
Cailler is located in the canton of Fribourg, in the Alpine foothills of the Gruyères region, which is the cradle of Gruyère and reputed for its fine milk production.[2] Its chocolates are produced at Maison Cailler. The factory complex is located north of Broc, on the Jogne river, near its mouth in the Lake of Gruyère. The complex has a dedicated railway station, Broc-Fabrique, which is connected to Bulle via the Bulle–Broc railway line, an originally narrow-gauge line later converted to a standard gauge in 2023.[19][20]
Tourism
Maison Cailler educates visitors on the history of the brand, ingredient sourcing, and the artistry of chocolate-making — visitors are allowed to try chocolates in the tasting room at the end of tours. The factory is open seven days a week and accommodates visits in twelve languages. Activities beyond the museum include: chocolate workshops, an escape game and an outdoor playground.
An additional theme park dedicated to chocolate is planned for 2025.[21]
Products
Cailler produces a wide range of 100 g and 200 g chocolate tablets, essentially milk but also dark and white. It also produces individual chocolate bars, notably the Branche. Cailler produces also praline boxes, the oldest being Ambassador (since 1890) and Fémina (1902).[14] Several Cailler products, especially the Branche, are imitated by other producers,[22] for instance by the other Swiss brand Frey.
Below are listed the most notable Cailler-branded products:
Ambassador (since 1890): A box of assorted pralines[22]
Lait (1898): A plain milk tablet made with double condensed milk. It is wrapped in mauve paper.[23]
Fémina (1902): Another box of assorted pralines (gianduja-like)[22]
Branche (1904): A cylindrical and rugged branch-looking combination bar. The original Branche consists of a praline center, with a coating of milk chocolate and hazelnut splinters; sold in either red, blue or green aluminum wrapper.[24] The Branche was created by Kohler; it is mentioned in his recipe books from 1896. It has been, however, produced by Cailler, since 1904.[1][14] It is partly made with recycled broken confectionery, originally remelted and rolled by hand into sticks.[25][26] Often placed inside a bread roll or bun,[27] it remains nowadays a particularly iconic chocolate bar, and the name branche has become a generic term in French for any similarly-shaped chocolate bar.[25] Various other flavours have been produced by Cailler, such as a dark chocolate version.
Chocmel (1920): A honey and almond milk chocolate tablet. Probably inspired by Toblerone.[28]
Frigor (1923): A milk chocolate tablet with a soft hazelnut and almond cream filling[22]
Rayon (1937): A honey nougat milk chocolate tablet with air bubbles[22]
Other chocolate bar brands have been produced by Nestlé at the Cailler factory, such as the Chokito (since 1964).[29][30] In 2018, production of Chokito (and Rayon) was relocated elsewhere in Switzerland.[31]
^ abcdCandy and Snack Industry: Volume 145, Issues 1-6. Magazines for Industry, Incorporated. 1980. pp. 28–29. The Nestlé S.A. facility in Broc, Switzerland, is steeped in the tradition of fine chocolate manufacturing as a company that has played an important part in industry history. [...] Cailler brand and his signature is still embossed on chocolate. In Switzerland, Cailler is the leading chocolate brand. Charles-Amedee Kohler (1790-1874) began producing chocolate in 1830. The Kohler firm later merged with that of Daniel Peter. Daniel Peter (1836-1919), who became the son-in-law of Francois Louis Cailler, assured his place in chocolate industry history with his invention in 1875 of milk chocolate. Henri Nestlé had first become an important manufacturer of milk products. Among his accomplishments was the development of a process to produce condensed milk which would be used in the making of milk chocolate. It wasn't until 1929 that these pioneering companies agreed to merge, but the plant at Broc had been built by the Cailler family in 1898. The selection of a site in Broc was made deliberately to locate it in Switzerland's picturesque Gruyere region, renowned for its fine milk production.
^Barel, Michel (2021). Du cacao au chocolat: L'épopée d'une gourmandise. Éditions Quæ. p. 102. ISBN9782759233793. À partir de 1820, ce sont surtout les Suisses qui vont innover, créer, améliorer les techniques de chocolaterie. Le premier est François-Louis Cailler, l'inventeur de la tablette de chocolat telle que nous la connaissons aujourd'hui. [From 1820, it was above all the Swiss who were to innovate, create and improve chocolate-making techniques. The first is François-Louis Cailler, the inventor of the chocolate tablet as we know it today.]
^ abHeer, Jean (1991). Nestlé: 125 Years, 1866-1991. Nestlé. p. 19. Transport was slow and difficult, for raw materials had to pass through several countries and were liable to be held up at times, because of political troubles in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars, or merely due to the weather. In 1821 , Cailler — who was manufacturer, inventor, designer of his packaging's graphic artwork, marketing agent, and traveling salesman — was deeply involved in making constant improvements to his machines, which, while rudimentary, were nonetheless the prototypes for today's conching machines and blenders. Cailler's clients received their chocolate in the form of small individual blocks — another of Cailler's ideas — improving on the method of the Italians, who produced their handmade chocolate in long rolls, which were cut into slices of varying length for the customer. Cailler soon introduced his own specialty products, by adding vanilla or cinnamon to the cocoa and sugar mixture during manufacture. His so-called pur caraque and commun sucré varieties were sold beyond the borders of Switzerland. And the famous French statesman Talleyrand was among Cailler's early customers.
^Thomas, Stephens (13 December 2017). "The pioneers of Switzerland's 'Chocolate Revolution'". Swissinfo. Retrieved 22 May 2022. Cailler had spent four years in Turin as a chocolatier's apprentice and when he returned home he invented a technique for making chocolate solid (unhappy Italians accused him of sticky fingers). Automation also made chocolate affordable for the masses.
^Schiess, Eduard (1915). L'industrie chocolatiere suisse: etude economique precedee d'un apercu general sur le cacao et le chocolat. Lausanne: Imprimerie de la Concorde. p. 128. Pourtant il y en avait déjà pour tous les bourses, du «Pur Caraque» au «Commun sucré». Il s'en faisait alors à la cannelle et à la vanille. Le prix-courant d'alors disait: «Ceux à la cannelle demi batz en sus, ceux à la vanille un batz par livre de douze onces». Le tout formait une série de 16 qualités avec 16 emballages différents [However, there was already something for every wallet, from "Pur Caraque" to "Common sweet". Cinnamon and vanilla flavored chocolates were made. The list price then read: "Cinnamon ones half batz extra, vanilla ones one batz per pound of twelve ounces." The whole formed a series of 16 qualities with 16 different packaging]
^Mulhaupt, Armand (1932). L'industrie chocolatière suisse avant, pendant et après la guerre. Imprimerie vaudoise. p. 19. F.-L. Cailler s'établit en 1819 à Vevey; ses machines étaient actionnées par un cours d'eau, dérivé de la Veveyse, le canal de la Monneresse. [F.-L. Cailler settled in Vevey in 1819; its machines were driven by a watercourse, derived from the Veveyse, the Monneresse canal.]
^Les Ouvriers des deux mondes. Société internationale des études pratiques d'économie sociale. 1908. p. 324. Les eaux de la Jogne furent détournées sur la rive droite, au moyen d'un tunnel, long d'un kilomètre environ, débouchant vis-à-vis des usines. On eut ainsi une chute de 44 mètres de hauteur, procurant, à l'aide d'installations hydro-électriques, une force de plus de 2,000 HP. Les usines elles-mêmes furent construites et équipées tout spécialement pour la fabrication du chocolat au lait, et installées suivant les données les plus modernes, tant au point de vue de l'agencement industriel et mécanique qu'au point de vue de l'hygiène, de la salubrité et du bien-être du personnel. [The waters of the Jogne were diverted to the right bank, by means of a tunnel, about a kilometer long, emerging opposite the factories. There was thus a fall of 44 meters in height, procuring, with the aid of hydro-electric installations, a force of more than 2,000 HP. The factories themselves were built and equipped especially for the manufacture of milk chocolate, and installed according to the most modern data, both from the point of view of industrial and mechanical layout and from the point of view of hygiene, safety and well-being of staff.]
^Bugnard, Pierre-Philippe (2000). "La fabrique de chocolat "Cailler" à Broc (FR)". Annales fribourgeoises: Volume 64. Société d’histoire du canton de Fribourg. pp. 150–152. Dès l'inauguration de l'usine électrique (12) en 1899, le village de Broc est éclairé gracieusement par la «fée électricité» [From the inauguration of the electricity plant (12) in 1899, the village of Broc was gracefully lit by the "electricity fairy"]
^"L'inventeur oublié du chocolat au lait" [The forgotten inventor of milk chocolate]. Feuille des Avis Officiels du canton de Vaud (in French). Canton of Vaud. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022. Les années de prospérité qui suivent sont aussi marquées par une concurrence féroce, visible dans les changements de nom de la société de Daniel Peter au fil des fusions et acquisitions jusqu'à son rachat par Nestlé. Ce sont aussi les coups bas: la trahison de son neveu Paul Brandt qui vend la recette du chocolat au lait à Kohler vers 1897 ou celle de l'un de ses contremaîtres qui va offrir ses services à Cailler... (dont la petite manufacture est passée de huit salariés à Vevey en 1890 à 1300 salariées en 1903 à Broc!) [The years of prosperity that followed were also marked by fierce competition, visible in the name changes of Daniel Peter's company through mergers and acquisitions until its takeover by Nestlé. These are also the low blows: the betrayal of his nephew Paul Brandt who sells the milk chocolate recipe to Kohler around 1897 or that of one of his foremen who will offer his services to Cailler... (whose small factory has gone from eight employees in Vevey in 1890 to 1300 employees in 1903 in Broc!)]
^ abcdChrystal, Paul (2021). "The Cocoa and Chocolate Competition at the Start of the Twentieth Century". Rowntree's – The Early History. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN9781526778901. In 1904, Daniel Peter and Charles-Amédée Kohler became partners and founded the company Société Générale Suisse de Chocolats Peter et Kohler Réunis. Cailler began to produce their own Branches. The original Branche was first mentioned in Kohler's recipe books in 1896. [...] In 1920, Kohler launched Chocmel brand chocolate with honey and almond slivers. In 1923 Cailler launched Frigor, which was developed by Cailler confectioner Charles Panchaud. In 1929, Peter, Cailler, Kohler and Chocolats Suisses S. A. all merged with the Nestlé group.
^Péclet, Jean-Claude (10 April 2006). "Le nouveau chocolat Cailler crée la discorde". Le Temps. Retrieved 7 May 2022. Décidément, la relance de la marque Cailler s'avère plus difficile que prévu pour la directrice de Nestlé Suisse Nelly Wenger. Après la Fédération romande des consommateurs (FRC), les actionnaires de Nestlé la semaine dernière, c'est au tour des distributeurs de faire la grimace devant le chocolat «réemballé» en boîtes de plastique malpratiques, non écologiques, par l'architecte Jean Nouvel... et surtout vendu plus cher. [Definitely, the relaunch of the Cailler brand is proving more difficult than expected for the director of Nestlé Switzerland Nelly Wenger. After the Fédération romande des consommateurs (FRC), the shareholders of Nestlé last week, it is the distributors' turn to wince at the chocolate "repackaged" in impractical, non-ecological plastic boxes, by the architect Jean Nouvel... and above all sold at a higher price.]
^"Cailler a essuyé 24 millions de pertes". RTS Info. 19 April 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2022. Les chocolats Cailler emballés en PET avaient été lancés au printemps 2006 et avaient fait rapidement l'objet de critiques pour leur côté peu écologique. [Cailler chocolates packaged in PET had been launched in the spring of 2006 and had quickly come under fire for being unsustainable.]
^ abcdeMeo, 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, creatrice di prodotti inimitabili (ma spesso imitati) come le praline Ambassador (1890) e Fémina (1902), le leggendarie Branches (1904), la delicata Frigor (1923) o Rayon, la cioccolata leggera come una nuvola (1937). [Thus was born one of the companies that made the history and fortune of chocolate, creator of inimitable (but often imitated) products such as the Ambassador (1890) and Fémina (1902) pralines, the legendary Branches (1904), the delicate Frigor (1923) or Rayon, the light chocolate like a cloud (1937).]
^Courvoisier, Therese (9 February 2019). "Cailler fête ses 200 ans tout en douceurs". Tribune de Genève. Geneva. Retrieved 21 May 2022. Quand on déchire le mythique emballage mauve de la plaque de chocolat au lait Cailler et qu'on porte un carré à sa bouche, c'est le goût des souvenirs qui surgit. Cette saveur onctueuse aux notes légèrement caramélisées – que l'on doit à une double condensation du lait utilisé pour sa fabrication – renvoie à l'enfance, mais aussi aux images bucoliques de vaches broutant dans les verts pâturages gruériens. [When you tear off the mythical mauve wrapper of the Cailler milk chocolate bar and put a square in your mouth, the taste of memories emerges. This unctuous flavor with slightly caramelized notes – which we owe to a double condensation of the milk used to make it – refers to childhood, but also to the bucolic images of cows grazing in the green pastures of Gruyère.]
^Cuochi d'artificio - Cioccolato Branche Cailler. Radiotelevisione svizzera. 1 October 2012. Event occurs at 4:33. dal 1904, e la ricetta è rimasta invariata: un composto di cioccolato per il praliné interno, e una copertura di cioccolato al latte e nocciole per l'esterno [...] anche il colore dei Branches Cailler è tradizione, sono così dal 1904 [since 1904, and the recipe has remained unchanged: a mix of chocolate and praline for the inside, and milk chocolate with hazelnuts for the outside [...] even the colors of the Cailler Branches have been like this since 1904]
^ ab"Branche (de chocolat): Citation 24 Heures (1998)". Base de données lexicographiques panfrancophone (in French). Agence universitaire de la Francophonie. Retrieved 5 May 2022. Emballée de rouge, de bleu ou de vert, la branche de chocolat au lait fait partie de l'identité helvétique. Créée en 1907 par Cailler dans son usine de Broc pour écouler les déchets et brisures de confiserie qui étaient refondus et roulés à la main en boudins [...] Emballée dans une feuille d'aluminium, elle fut appelée «branche». Cette appellation trop générale ne fut pas protégée. Elle devint peu à peu le nom générique de tout bâtonnet de chocolat, qu'il soit sorti de Broc ou fabriqué par les marques concurrentes qui toutes se mirent à copier l'original. [Wrapped in red, blue or green, the milk chocolate bar is part of the Swiss identity. Created in 1907 by Cailler in its factory in Broc to dispose of broken confectionery that was remelted and rolled by hand into sticks [...] Wrapped in aluminum foil, it was called a "branch". This too general appellation was not protected. It gradually became the generic name for any chocolate stick, whether it came out of Broc or manufactured by competing brands, all of which began to copy the original.]
^Richoz, Mélanie (2015). Mue (in French). Geneva: Éditions Slatkine. ISBN9782832106839. Elle pose un sachet de boulangerie sur le bar en béton. Je sais qu'il contient un petit pain et une branche Cailler comme à chacune de ses visites. [She puts a bakery bag on the concrete bar. I know that it contains a bun and a Cailler Branche as in each of his visits.]
^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.]
^"Lancement de la nouvelle marque MAISON CAILLER et ses pralinés « sur mesure »"(PDF). Nestlé. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2022. La fabrique de chocolat de Nestlé (1898): Création de grands classiques du chocolat, tel que Ambassador, Femina, Frigor, Branche, Rayon, Chokito [The Nestlé chocolate factory (1898): Creation of great chocolate classics, such as Ambassador, Femina, Frigor, Branche, Rayon, Chokito]
^Métral, Nicole (16 May 1998). "«Cervelas de la chocolaterie», la branche reste une exclusivité suisse". 24 heures. Lausanne. p. 43. Pour contrer l'introduction en Suisse des Mars, américains, l'usine de Broc sortit en 1964 une branche plus moderne, le Chokito [To counter the introduction of the Mars chocolate bar in Switzerland, the Broc factory released a more modern chocolate bar ["branche"] in 1964, the Chokito]
1 Currently manufactured by General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. 3 U.S. production rights owned by The Hershey Company. 4 U.S. rights and production owned by the Smarties Candy Company with a different product. 5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. 6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods elsewhere. 8 Philippine production rights owned by Alaska Milk Corporation. 9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by Fraser and Neave. 10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. 11 Used only in the Philippines. 12 U.S. production rights owned by the Ferrara Candy Company. 13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. 14 Brand owned by Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. 15 Produced by Froneri in the U.S. since 2020.
