Droste facts for kids
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| Besloten Vennootschap | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1863 in Haarlem |
| Founder | Gerardus J. Droste |
| Headquarters | Vaassen, Netherlands |
| Products | Chocolate |
| Parent | Hosta |
Droste B.V. is a famous Dutch company that makes delicious chocolate. Its main office and factory are in a village called Vaassen in the Netherlands. Droste is part of a larger German candy company named Hosta, but it runs its own business.
Contents
The Story of Droste Chocolate
How Droste Began
The Droste company started way back in 1863. A man named Gerardus Johannes Droste founded it in the city of Haarlem. At first, it was a candy shop selling many kinds of sweets. One of their first and most popular products was the Droste chocolate pastilles, which you can still buy today!
As the company became more popular, Mr. Droste opened his first factory in 1890. This factory was special because all the chocolate making happened in the same building as the shop. But soon, they needed more space. So, in 1891, the factory moved to a new spot next to the Spaarne river. This was a great move! Raw materials like cocoa beans could arrive easily by boat. Also, shipping the finished chocolates to stores became much simpler by water.
Growing Bigger and Famous
In 1897, Gerardus J. Droste's sons took over the family business. By then, Droste made many different cocoa and chocolate products. This included the well-known Dutch chocolate letters, which are often given as gifts. Even with big competitors, Droste became very popular in the Netherlands and in other countries too.
In 1898, Droste received a special honor. They were allowed to use the royal symbol, or "coat of arms," of Queen Emma. This showed how respected the company was. After the year 1900, Droste began sending its chocolates to Belgium, Germany, and France. By 1905, Droste chocolates were even sold in the American market!
The Famous Droste Nurse
Around 1900, a very famous picture started appearing on Droste products. It showed a woman dressed as a nurse. She was holding a tray with a cup of milk and a package of Droste cocoa. Many people believe an artist named Jan (Johannes) Misset created this picture. He might have been inspired by an old painting called La Belle Chocolatière (which means "The Pretty Chocolate Girl").
This image was meant to show that chocolate milk was healthy and good for you. It quickly became a symbol of the Droste brand. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see something amazing! The nurse is holding a cocoa package, and on that package, there's another tiny picture of the nurse holding a cocoa package, and so on! This repeating picture inside a picture is called the Droste effect. It's a cool visual trick!
Through Times of Change
Life wasn't always easy for Droste. During the First World War, it was very hard to get the ingredients needed to make chocolate. This caused big problems for production. After the war ended, Gerardus Johannes Droste junior helped the company slowly get back on its feet. Production and sales started to improve.
In 1920, the company became a "public limited company." This meant it could sell shares to more people. By 1930, over 800 people worked at the factory by the Spaarne river. Droste even had 25 salespeople traveling all over the Netherlands to promote their delicious products. The brand became known worldwide, and Droste opened offices in big cities like London, Paris, New York, and Boston. From 1920 to 1940, Droste chocolates traveled across the globe by ships and trains.
In 1932, Droste faced another challenge: a tough economic time called a "stock market crash." Because of this, the company had to shorten the work week for its employees. Things got even worse during the Second World War. Bombs from Allied aircraft damaged part of the factory. This caused production and sales to drop quickly, and eventually, they stopped completely.
A New Chapter for Droste
After 1945, Droste slowly recovered from the war. It took some time to get back to making and selling as much chocolate as before. Ingredients were still hard to find, so the company couldn't export its products because they couldn't guarantee the best quality. For a while, Droste only sold its chocolates in the Netherlands.
About five years later, things improved. Droste could once again make high-quality products for both local and international markets. In 1947, the founder's grandsons, Jan and Martinus Droste, became the new managers. Under their leadership, the business grew a lot! By the early 1960s, Droste had over 1000 employees. They were exporting 40% of their chocolates to 60 different countries. In 1961, they even opened a brand new cocoa factory.
In 1964, the company received a special "Royal" title and changed its name to Koninklijke Droste Fabrieken N.V. (Royal Droste Factories). Around this time, many parts of the chocolate-making process became automated. This meant machines did more of the work, and fewer people were needed for manual tasks.
In 1975, the Droste family company was no longer independent. It became part of a larger food and tobacco group called Van Nelle. This happened when the widow J. van Nelle took over Droste's ownership. Even though Droste was now part of Van Nelle, the Droste brand name remained famous. Later, in 1977, Droste became directly owned by an American company called Standard Brands. Because it was now owned by a foreign company, Droste could no longer use the "Royal" title. So, its name changed again to Droste Fabrieken B.V.
Droste Today
In 1986, Droste moved its main production to Vaassen. The old factory in Haarlem was still used for a while by another company. But in 1988, a brand new factory opened in Vaassen.
In 1990, Droste changed owners again. It was bought by a big sugar and food company called CSM. CSM helped make Droste's image fresh and exciting with new commercials.
Then, in 1997, Droste was sold to Hosta, which is its current owner. Today, Droste B.V. operates as its own business unit in Vaassen, even though Hosta owns it. Since this last change, Droste's sales have grown a lot. It has become one of the biggest producers of cocoa in the Netherlands!
Droste Products Gallery
Chocolate Packaging
Cocoa Tins
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See also
In Spanish: Droste para niños
