The history of Marabou

To tell the story of the Swedish chocolate maker Marabou, we must start somewhere else. Specifically, in Norway, on a forgotten street in the capital, which was called Christiania at the time. In the late 1800s, there was a chocolate factory with the Norse sounding name Freia. In the Freia strolled someday colonial is the son Johan Trone-Holst, determined to buy the worn factory. It was he, for 9000 kroner. It may sound a bit today, but it was a fortune in those days. And Johan Trone-Holst became chocolate factory owner in the coup and immediately started to develop Freia Sjokolade factory to a successful business. And what a success it was then, even so great that Norway finally felt too small. Johan wanted to expand southwards, but the First World War got in the way, so he set his sights on neighboring Sweden. So it was a sunny spring day in 1916, the middle of the war, the Marabou born. It was named so because Freia Marabou Stork had as its symbol. But it was difficult to import cocoa during the war years, and without cocoa, there was no chocolate, so the first chocolate bars were produced until the late summer of 1919. Therefore, this is usually counted as Marabou's actual birth.

Chocolate

Milk Chocolate, or melkesjokolade as they say in Norwegian, was the first man-made chocolate, then according Freia recipes. It was not until well into the 50th century that they found a recipe that made the Swedes say "Mmm ..." when they stopped a piece of chocolate in your mouth. The new recipe gave the chocolate a unique and popular flavor of caramel. The flavor was so popular that it suddenly sold twice as much chocolate as before. And it is this very special and very secret recipes that have made Marabou chocolate so well-liked and popular in all ages, far beyond Sweden's borders.

Marabou

Marabou Swedish first chocolate factory was in Sundbyberg outside Stockholm. Johan's son Henning became manager and with enthusiasm started to produce new, estimated chocolate varieties Yep, Non Stop, Fortuna, Dajm and Twist. And he probably did a good job, for every one of them is still there to this day! In the late '60s, it was time for the Marabou stork who graced Marabou chocolate since 1919 to fly away. In its place came the fine, squiggly letters still on Marabou's packaging. The man behind the new design was none other than the Swedish designer Sigvard Bernadotte. Around the same time came the first commercials with actor-spelerskan Yvonne Lombard, the voice behind the familiar "Mmm ... Marabou!"

Marabou today

After almost 60 years in Sundbyberg premises had begun to get a little overcrowded, and in the 1970s opened because a new, nifty factory in Upplands Väsby outside Stockholm where production is then mainly laid. In Upplands Väsby factory is one still standing today. Since 1993 owned "all of Sweden's own chocolate factory" by the company Mondelēz Inter-national and Marabou has become one of Sweden's most beloved brands. It has come a long way from the worn, old factory at alleyway in Christiania, though it is the love of chocolate is just as strong. And the factory in Upplands Väsby working man curiously and tirelessly in John Trone-Holst spirit and find new, tasty way to get the whole of Sweden to say "Mmm ... Marabou"!