For more than one century Cailler is calling Gruyère, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, its home. To this day, Maison Cailler continues to produce the finest chocolate creations, with fresh milk from local dairies, sustainable cocoa, finest ingredients and in-depth knowledge of the art of chocolate-making.
HISTORY
200 YEARS OF SAVOIR-FAIRE
1796
François-Louis Cailler is born in Vevey. He will later found Switzerland’s oldest chocolate brand still existing.
1806
Records show that Vevey was already home to seven chocolate factories at this time, meaning it had already been established as a hub of chocolate production.
1818 -1820
Together with Abram L. C. Cusin from Aubonne, François-Louis Cailler opens a grocery store in Vevey where they also sell chocolate. While his partner visits customers and collects orders, Cailler manages the business in Vevey.
1819
The oldest price list from François- Louis Cailler’s chocolate business:
1820
Starting in 1820, François-Louis Cailler rents additional factory space in order to produce chocolate on a larger scale.
1821-1826
In 1821, François-Louis Cailler and Abram L. C. Cusin dissolve the partnership, and Cailler continues to run the business on his own.
1826 -1828
After a bankruptcy in 1826, François-Louis Cailler’s wife runs the business temporarily until he is once again allowed to manage it himself.
1830
Charles-Amédée Kohler (1790–1874) buys a mill in Lausanne to establish a chocolate factory.
1832 & 1840
François-Louis Cailler buys two new factories in Corsier-sur-Vevey and Vevey. The factories are located on the Canal de la Monneresse and are water powered.
1852
François-Louis Cailler dies, and his wife continues to run the business together with their two sons, Auguste and Alexandre.
1866
Alexandre-Louis Cailler. grandson of François-Louis Cailler, is born.
1867
Daniel Peter, François-Louis Cailler’s son-in-law, starts producing chocolate under the name Peter-Cailler.
1875
Daniel Peter invents milk chocolate.
1890
Cailler pralines are invented.
1898
Alexandre-Louis Cailler opens a new factory in Broc and begins producing milk and hazelnut chocolate on a large scale.
1904
Daniel Peter and Charles-Amédée Kohler become partners and found the company Société Générale Suisse de Chocolats Peter et Kohler Réunis. Cailler begins to produce its own Branches. The original Branche was first mentioned in Kohler’s recipe books from 1896.
1905
Under an agreement with Peter and Kohler, Nestlé launches its own milk chocolate produced by Peter and Kohler. At this time, all partners are benefiting from Nestlé’s international sales network.
1907
Before the start of the First World War, Cailler expands its range of chocolates by introducing Fémina, an extra-fine mix of pralines sold in a gift box.
1911
As the chocolate industry booms, the companies Peter (managed by Daniel Peter) and Kohler, which were already partners, merge with Cailler. They decide to join forces in order to introduce high-quality Swiss chocolate, whose reputation rests on the invention of both milk and fondant chocolates, to a larger international audience. The name of the new company is Peter, Cailler, Kohler, Chocolats Suisses S. A.
Alexandre-Louis Cailler develops a completely different process for the manufacture of milk chocolate than the one used by Peter. The process, which is still used today, allows for the production of chocolate that is creamier and has a richer milky flavour than ever before. To make this chocolate, Alexandre-Louis Cailler uses condensed milk made from the Alpine Gruyère region, which is also renowned outside of Switzerland. To this day, Cailler is the only Swiss chocolate manufacturer that uses condensed instead of powdered milk to produce its milk chocolate, which is why the chocolate has such an incomparably rich milky flavour and is so meltingly smooth.
1920
Kohler launches Chocmel brand chocolate with honey and almond slivers.
1923
Cailler launches Frigor, which was developed by Cailler confectioner Charles Panchaud.
1929
Peter, Cailler, Kohler, Chocolats Suisses S. A. merge with the Nestlé Group.
1937
Invention of air bubble technology for chocolate bars; the chocolate produced using this technology has been sold under the name Rayon to this day.
1940
Launch of cailler Dessert.
1979
Launch of Ambassador pralines.
2006
Relaunch of the brand under the name "Cailler of Switzerland".
2009
Launch of Sublim.
2010
Grand opening of Maison Cailler – La Chocolaterie Suisse: a wonderful place where visitors can experience with all their senses the secrets surrounding the
origins and the manufacturing of chocolate. The museum accounts for more than 400'000 visits per year.
2012
Launch of 200-gram Cailler chocolate bars.
2017
Cailler revisits its iconic milk chocolate recipe to better match consumer preferences (more milk, more cocoa and reduced sugar content).
2019
Cailler celebrates 200 years of sharing our passion for chocolate excellence.
Making Chocolate The Cailler Way
The Art of chocolate-making
At Maison Cailler, our chocolate factory in Broc, we combine our pride for tradition with our thirst for innovation. It's here that our chocolate goes through all the stages of production, from cocoa bean to finished chocolate creation.
For each piece of Cailler chocolate made in Broc, we exclusively use Swiss sugar and fresh alpine milk from the region as well as carefully selected ingredients.
Cailler is one of the few chocolate makers in the world that uses lightly-condensed milk instead of milk powder. This milk is then added to the cocoa mass using our special procedure. It's this method that gives Cailler chocolate products their unmistakably delicious taste and unique texture.
Our creations are then packaged in-house at Maison Cailler, with over 300,000 chocolate temptations leaving our factory each day.
Local Commitment
Our Commitment to the Region
At Cailler, we have always valued the close relationships that we've maintained with the dairy farmers in our region. Our fresh milk comes from around 1800 cows that graze within a 30-kilometre radius of Maison Cailler, spending spring to autumn on the untouched mountain meadows of the Fribourg Alps. The milk used in our factory in Broc is so fresh that connoisseurs can even smell the difference between summer and winter milk!
How does Cailler achieve the creamy texture of its chocolate? Every two days, local farmers deliver their milk to our partner who condenses it and delivers it to Cailler. This slightly condensed milk is added to our delicious chocolate creations in liquid form within 24 hours. It is this process that gives our chocolate its smooth texture and characteristic milky taste.
Cailler is also the only chocolate producer in Switzerland that uses 100% IP-SUISSE certified milk. All the local dairy producers who supply Cailler guarantee respect for nature in their production processes in order to preserve biodiversity. This is just another great example of our commitment to our region and to Switzerland.
Sustainability
Sustainable Practices for a Better Future
The Nestlé Cocoa Plan provides CAILLER with sustainably sourced independently certified cocoa. The Plan has 3 pillars: Better farming, Better lives and Better cocoa. Better farming means improving agricultural practices to increase yield and thus raising farmer incomes. To improve the environment we are also working to prevent deforestation and promote agroforestry. Better lives focuses primarily on gender empowerment and eliminating child labor, with particular emphasis on improving access to education. Better cocoa comes from building long-term relationships with farmers and farmer groups, and achieving traceability. To learn more visit www.nestlecocoaplan.com
The Rainforest Alliance seal means that farmers follow more sustainable farming practices that protect forests, improve their livelihoods, promote human rights of farm workers, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. Find out more at ra.org.
All the recipes for CAILLER chocolates, made at the Broc factory, are created in the purest respect of the chocolate-making tradition, from carefully selected ingredients, and are palm-oil-free.