Toblerone
Can you see the bear in the mountain?
The Tobler chocolate factory was founded in 1899 by Emil Baumann (1880–1960) and his cousin Theodor Tobler (1876–1941) in Bern, Switzerland. At the time, the Swiss chocolate industry was expanding dramatically as recently invented milk chocolate became widespread.
In 1908, Baumann created the unique Toblerone recipe consisting of milk chocolate including white nougat, almonds and honey. It was Tobler who came up with the distinctive triangular shape and packaging. The product’s name is a combination of Tobler’s name and the Italian word torrone (a type of nougat).
The triangular shape of the Matterhorn in the Swiss/Italian Alps is commonly believed to have given Tobler his inspiration for the shape of Toblerone. Until recently, a silhouette of the Matterhorn appeared on Toblerone packaging, and it incorporated the discreet outline of a bear, the symbol of Bern. Can you see it now?
In 1909, Toblerone became the world’s first ever patented milk chocolate bar, having received one for its manufacturing process. It was all about milk chocolate for many years, until a version made with dark chocolate was launched in 1969. A white version was launched in 1973. [Ed: Who’s idea was that?]
In 2016, Toblerone grabbed headlines when it increased the gaps between the triangular chocolate chunks on bars sold in the United Kingdom, supposedly to be able to sell the snack at the same price but at a weight reduced from 170g to 150g. [Ed: An even worse idea than the white chocolate.] A year later, Mondelēz (owner of Toblerone since 2012) also reduced the weight of Toblerone bars sold in Germany, with the number of triangular peaks down to 11 from 15. These would appear to be really bad ideas, but the “controversies” generated a lot of press and guaranteed Toblerone a run of free marketing, with sales reportedly rising in spite of supposed outrage among customers.
At the end of 2023 Mondelēz moved some Toblerone production to its plant in Slovakia, meaning that it now falls foul of marketing restrictions relating to the use of Swiss iconography. As a result, the iconic image of the Matterhorn has been removed from Toblerone packaging, replaced by a more generic Alpine summit.
“The packaging redesign introduces a modernised and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic,” a Mondelēz spokesperson told the Aargauer Zeitung newspaper. Toblerone packaging will henceforth read “established in Switzerland”, rather than “of Switzerland”.
Whatever the shape of its mountain, Toblerone continues to be a cultural icon. The chocolate bar is often associated with travel, duty-free shopping, and as a souvenir from Switzerland. Its presence in airports and duty-free shops around the world has made it a go-to treat for travellers looking to bring home a piece of Swiss tradition.
Story Idea: Dave Lim
Videos
PS: File this one under C for clever. TantrumGirl was an eye- and ear-catching reminder that picking up a Toblerone at the airport is essential when returning from a trip. Onlooking strangers, unaware that the whole thing was a set up, filmed and uploaded the dramatic scene to their socials, leading to millions of views and reactions online.
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Ah, sweet memories. Every time Toblerone is mentioned I say to myself, “Milchschocolade mit mandeln und honig-nougat. If you know, you know.