Neuhaus (chocolatier) facts for kids
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| Industry | Chocolatier |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1857 in Brussels, Belgium |
| Founder | Jean Neuhaus |
| Headquarters |
Belgium
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Luxury chocolates, chocolate truffles, biscuits and ice cream |
| Owner | Compagnie Du Bois Sauvage SA |
Neuhaus is a famous Belgian company that makes delicious luxury chocolates. They also sell chocolate truffles, biscuits, and ice cream. The company started way back in 1857. A man named Jean Neuhaus, who came from Switzerland, opened the very first Neuhaus shop. It was in a beautiful place called the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in the heart of Brussels, Belgium.
A big invention happened in 1912! Jean Neuhaus's grandson, Jean Neuhaus II, created the first chocolate praline. This is a special chocolate with a creamy filling inside a chocolate shell. It was the very first filled chocolate ever!
Today, Neuhaus chocolates are sold all over the world. You can find them in more than 1,500 stores across 50 different countries. All their yummy products are still made in Vlezenbeek, a town close to Brussels. In 2000, Neuhaus was even given a special title. They became a supplier to the Belgian royal family!
How Neuhaus Began
Jean Neuhaus arrived in Brussels from his home country, Switzerland. In 1857, he opened a special kind of shop. It was an apothecary, which is like an old-fashioned pharmacy. His shop was located in the Galeries Royales, a beautiful shopping arcade near the Grand-Place.
Jean Neuhaus started his business by covering medicines in chocolate. This made them much easier and tastier to take! Soon, he began selling other sweet treats too. These included liquorices, guimauves (which are like marshmallows), and dark chocolate bars. These new sweets quickly became more popular than the traditional medicines.
Sweet Inventions
Jean Neuhaus worked with his son, Frédéric, to create new and exciting treats. They spent more and more time inventing delicious new sweets. Eventually, their regular pharmacy products were replaced by these tasty creations.
In 1912, Frédéric passed away. That same year, his son, Jean II, made a huge invention. He created the very first chocolate-filled candies, which he called pralines. These chocolates were an instant hit! Everyone loved them.
The Ballotin Box
After the pralines became so popular, another clever idea came along. Louise Agostini, who was Jean II's wife, noticed a problem. The delicious pralines were getting squashed inside the paper bags used to wrap them.
So, in 1915, Louise and Jean worked together. They developed a special gift wrap box to protect the chocolates. This box became known as the ballotin. The design for the ballotin was so unique that they even got a patent for it! The official document was dated August 16, 1915.
Growing Worldwide
Jean II's son-in-law, Adelson de Gavre, took over the family business. In 1958, he created some very famous pralines. These included the Caprice and the Tentation. They were first shown to the public at a big event called Expo 58.
Adelson's wife, Suzanne Neuhaus, was very talented at decorating. She specialized in making beautiful gift wraps for the chocolates. The company grew bigger and bigger. Soon, Neuhaus stores started appearing all over Belgium and in other countries. The first Neuhaus chocolate shop in the United States opened in New York City in 1999.
Today, the Neuhaus Belgian chocolate range is still very popular. It includes traditional pralines, of course. But they also make chocolate bars, BonBons, other candies, and individually wrapped chocolate squares. You can even find their hot chocolate! In 2017, Bloomberg Pursuits magazine said that Neuhaus made the best chocolate truffle in the world.
Neuhaus is also committed to making chocolate responsibly. Their chocolate is 100% UTZ Certified. This means it's made using good farming practices. All their ingredients are natural, and everything is still made in Belgium. About 25% of their chocolate is even made with cocoa from Neuhaus's very own cocoa farm!
See also
In Spanish: Neuhaus para niños
