Marabou (chocolate) facts for kids
Marabou is a very popular chocolate brand from Sweden. It is owned by a big company called Mondelez International.
Contents
How Marabou Chocolate Began
The Marabou brand was started by a Norwegian chocolate maker named Johan Throne Holst. He was born in 1868 and passed away in 1946. Johan had already created a very successful chocolate in Norway called Freia. In the early 1900s, Freia made up more than half of the chocolate sold in Norway!
Expanding to Sweden
During World War I, it was hard to sell products in Europe. So, Johan's company decided to try selling their chocolate in Sweden.
In 1916, the Marabou brand was officially created in Sweden. The name "Freja" was already being used there. So, the company chose "Marabou" instead. This name came from the stork bird that was part of their logo. However, making the chocolate didn't actually start until 1919. This was because there wasn't enough cocoa available due to the war.
New Flavors and Factories
Johan Throne Holst's second son, Henning, took charge of Sweden's first chocolate factory in 1918. This factory was in Sundbyberg, just north of Stockholm. Henning helped create many popular Marabou chocolates that we still enjoy today. These include Japp, Daim, Twist, Fortuna and Non Stop.
The very first Marabou chocolate was a milk chocolate. It used the same recipe as the Freia chocolate. In the mid-1950s, Marabou started to caramelize their chocolate. This made it taste quite different. The Sundbyberg factory eventually became too small. So, in the 1970s, after 60 years, production moved. It moved to a new, bigger factory in Upplands Väsby, where it is still made today.
The Famous "M" Logo
In the late 1960s, the Marabou logo changed. It went from a stork bird to the rounded "M" we see today. This new "M" was designed by Sigvard Bernadotte. Around this time, Marabou also started its first TV commercials. These ads featured Yvonne Lombard who created the famous slogan, "Mmm... Marabou!".
Marabou Around the World
Later, the Freia and Marabou companies joined together. In 1993, a big food company called Kraft Foods bought them for 3 billion Norwegian kroner.
Marabou chocolate is sold in many countries in Europe. Until 2011, IKEA stores in Canada, Israel, and Poland also sold it. Today, IKEA sells Marabou chocolate in 23 countries. These include Australia, Austria, Canada, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ireland, The UAE, England, Scotland, Wales, Iceland and the US.
