Villars Maître Chocolatier facts for kids
Factory building of «Chocolat Villars» in Fribourg (Switzerland)
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| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=CH0002609656 CH0002609656] |
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| Industry | Food |
| Founder | Wilhelm Kaiser |
Villars Maître Chocolatier SA is a famous Swiss chocolate company. It started in 1901 in a special building in Fribourg, Switzerland. This building is very important to Swiss history and culture. Villars is known for its yummy chocolates. They make unique kinds, like those with lots of nuts and almonds. They also have tiny dark chocolate squares called napolitains.
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How Villars Chocolate Began
The chocolate company was started by Wilhelm Kaiser in 1901. It was first in a place called Villars-sur-Glâne. In 1904, the company officially became Villars AG. Villars chocolates won many awards for being so good.
In 1915, Villars was the first company in Switzerland to give its workers two weeks of paid vacation. This was a big deal back then!
Wilhelm Kaiser passed away in 1935. That same year, the company added a coffee roasting section. They also launched their first chocolate bar filled with a special liqueur. Villars stayed a family business until 1969. After Wilhelm's son, Oliver Kaiser, passed away, the company was taken over by a trustee. It was then renamed Villars Holding.
Villars Today
In 1985, Villars Holding sold its chocolate-making part to another company, Cremo SA. Then, in 1995, a big international group called Soparind Bongrain bought it. This group later changed its name to Savencia in 2015. Chocolat Villars is now part of the Savencia Group.
Villars mostly makes milk chocolate bars. Some of their milk chocolate uses milk from specific regions in Switzerland. These regions include Vaud, Fribourg, Bern, and Lucerne. These areas are all near the beautiful Alps.
Since 2017, for chocolate to be called "Swiss" and have the Swiss cross, most of its ingredients must come from Switzerland. Also, the chocolate must be made in Switzerland. Villars uses this "Swissness" in its advertising. They say they use 100% Swiss milk, 100% Swiss sugar, and 100% Swiss alcohol. The company is part of Chocosuisse. This group helps protect the "Swiss" brand for chocolate.
Since 2009, Chocolat Villars has also made products using stevia. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute.
Villars Workers and Growth
In the 1920s, the company had about 1,200 employees. After World War II, this number dropped to around 400. By the year 2000, only about 100 people worked there. But in 2021, the company had 210 employees at its factory in Freiburg. Stephan Buchser is the current head of the company.
In 2021, Villars celebrated its 120th birthday! They had a huge mural painted on their building in Freiburg. A famous street artist named Serge Nidegger (also known as Serge Lowrider) created it. The painting shows important products and symbols from the company's long history.
In December 2022, Villars opened a second shop called "La Fabrik." It's located near the main Villars office. Starting in 2023, this new shop will offer cooking workshops. They expect about 50,000 visitors each year.
Villars and Swiss Culture
The Chocolat Villars factory building in Freiburg is very important. It's considered a cultural treasure in the Fribourg area. It has been a chocolate factory since it first opened in 1901.
The "Villars cow" was a very famous advertising symbol for the company. An artist named Martin Peikert created this cow. You could see these cow figures all over Switzerland for a long time. However, their numbers had to be reduced. This was partly because of safety rules for traffic in Switzerland. Even though one town, Bichelsee-Balterswil, tried to keep its Villars cow, it's no longer allowed to advertise for Chocolat Villars.
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An old advertisement by Martin Peikert, showing the Villars cow.
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The "Villars-Cow" was well-known across Switzerland. It first appeared in 1928.
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The old factory building in Freiburg.
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A 12-meter-high painting by Serge Nidegger. It celebrates the company's 120th anniversary at the Freiburg office.
See also
