Chocolaterie Robert facts for kids

Chocolaterie Robert is a famous chocolate company from Madagascar. It was the first company to make chocolate there using local ingredients. Their most popular product is chocolate bars, sold as Chocolat Robert. The company started in 1940 with the Robert family, who were French and from Reunion Island. Over the years, the company was sold a few times. Now, it is owned by a Malagasy family called Ramanandraibe. They are important leaders in Madagascar's economy.

History of Chocolaterie Robert

The Antananarivo factory and shop entrance in 1956.

Chocolaterie Robert was the first chocolate brand made and sold in Madagascar. A French couple, Mr. and Mrs. Robert, started the company in 1940. They were from Reunion Island, which is close to Madagascar.

The Roberts began making chocolates using local cocoa beans. These beans came from Brickaville, where the first cocoa farms in Madagascar were planted by French settlers. In 1948, the couple sold their company to a candy maker in Antananarivo.

By 1977, a French family named Berger owned the company. They decided to leave Madagascar and sold the chocolate factory. A Malagasy business person named Ramanandraibe bought it. His family was a key part of Madagascar's economic growth after it became independent.

Delicious Chocolate Products

Cocoa pods growing in Madagascar.

Robert chocolate bars, known as Chocolat Robert, are sold all over Madagascar. You can also find them in 12 stores in France and one store in the United Kingdom.

Chocolaterie Robert also has special shops in seven places in Madagascar. These shops sell handmade chocolates and other sweet treats. You can buy cakes, chocolate candies, baking chocolate, chocolate powder, and different kinds of chocolate bars.

Awards for Robert Chocolate

On October 18, 2014, Robert chocolate won several awards. These awards were given at the International Chocolate Awards in London. They received a gold medal for their 50% milk chocolate.

They also won a silver medal for their 85% dark chocolate. Their white chocolate with vanilla earned another silver medal. A bronze medal was given for their 65% dark chocolate. This was a very tough category with over 100 other chocolate makers competing.

How Chocolaterie Robert Works

A caramel cooker from 1962.

Finished products ready for display in 1962.

The Ramanandraibe group, which owns Chocolaterie Robert, works closely with farmers. They are helping farmers in Brickaville learn how to grow the best cocoa beans again. This helps improve the quality of the cocoa.

Since 2012, the company has invested a lot of money. They wanted to make their chocolate even better. This helps them compete with big chocolate companies around the world.

To do this, the company started groups called cooperatives. These cooperatives employ 125 farmers in the Ambanja region. Their job is to grow high-quality organic cocoa.

The factory in Antananarivo also bought new, powerful machines. The company now follows British quality rules. These rules are part of something called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. Following these rules helps them sell their chocolate in the British market.