Toblerone will no longer be exclusively Swiss made

Toblerone was invented by Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann, and has been produced since 1908. Keystone / Andy Rain

The triangular chocolate bar will also be manufactured in Slovakia from the end of 2023.

Toblerone’s parent company, confectionery giant Mondelez International, confirmed the Slovakian outsourcing plan on Wednesday, according to Swiss public radio, SRF. The Mondelez factory in the Slovak capital Bratislava already makes chocolate with Swiss roots such as the Milka and Suchard brands.

Staff at Toblerone’s Bern-Brünnen factory were informed at the beginning of the week. Toblerone has been produced in Bern for more than 100 years and is distributed worldwide.

Despite the move towards outsourcing, Mondelez intends to keep its Swiss footprint. 

“Bern is an important part of our history and will remain so,” said Livia Kolmitz of Mondelez Europe.

The multinational company has invested heavily in the Brünnen factory over the past five years and plans further investment. There are plans to increase the production capacity for chocolate paste and nougat.

Swiss identity

Toblerone was invented by Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann, and has been produced since 1908. The name is a combination of the name of its co-inventor “Tobler” and “torrone”, Italian for honey-and-almond nougat. The idea that the triangular shape was inspired by the Matterhorn mountain is a myth. But since 1970 the famous peak has appeared on the brand’s packaging, underlining its Swiss identity.

In 1985 production was moved from the Länggasse district of Bern to the current factory in the west of the Swiss capital. After several changes of ownership, Toblerone is now manufactured by Chicago-based Mondelez International.