Galler (chocolate) facts for kids
Galler is a Belgian chocolate company. It was founded in 1976. The company's main office is in Vaux-sous-Chèvremont, a small village near Liège, Belgium.
Galler makes many tasty treats. These include chocolate bars, big chocolate slabs, pralines (which are special Belgian chocolates), macarons, ice cream, and chocolate spreads. They also have their own chocolate shops called boutiques.
How Galler Started
Jean Galler was born in Liège in 1955. He went to hotel school in Liège. He also worked as an apprentice in his family's bakery. His grandfather started this bakery in 1930.
When Jean was 19, he was named the Best Apprentice in Belgium. After that, he went to Switzerland. He took special courses for pastry chefs and confectioners. In 1975, he trained in Paris with a famous chef named Gaston Lenôtre.
Jean loved chocolate very much. When he was 21, he had a chance to take over an old chocolate factory. So, in 1976, he and his father started the Galler Chocolate Factory. It was in Vaux-sous-Chèvremont.
In 1994, Galler became an Official Supplier to the Royal Court of Belgium. This means they supply chocolates to the King and Queen! The next year, Jean Galler was chosen as "manager of the year."
Around the same time, Jean Galler worked with a cartoonist named Philippe Geluck. They created "Langues de Chat" (Cat's Tongues) chocolates. These chocolates featured Geluck's famous character, Le Chat (The Cat). Later, they changed the name to Les Chocolats du Chat. This was to avoid confusion with cat's tongue biscuits.
Galler's Journey of Growth
By 2013, Galler chocolates were sold in over thirty countries. They had their own shops in Belgium and other countries. The first Galler shop opened in 1995 in Brussels. It was on the famous Grand-Place.
In 2002, Galler won an award for their "Chocolate-Tea" idea. This was a new concept for their shops. You could taste different types of chocolate and teas from all over the world.
Galler products, especially Les Chocolats du Chat, are sent to many places. These include France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Australia.
Over the years, the ownership of Galler changed. In 2006, two members of the Qatari royal family invested in the company. They bought some shares. Later, in 2012, the Qatari family became the main owners of Galler.
Even with new owners, Galler chocolates are still made in Vaux-sous-Chèvremont. About 170 people work there.
In 2020, a group of Belgian investors bought part of the company. They wanted Galler to be even more ethical and responsible. Since 2020, Galler has used only 100% fair trade certified cocoa beans. This means the cocoa farmers are paid fairly. The company's logo was also changed to "Independent chocolate factory."
