Swiss Chocolate has Conquered the World and John Bowring
29 November 2025
How is it that a small mountainous country, without cocoa trees and far from the sea, has been a leading producer of chocolate for two centuries? The primary raw material of chocolate is, in fact, cocoa.
Is there a link with the “Zuckerbäcker” from Grisons? In this region, pastry and confectionery were completely unknown in the 18th century. Yet, over two centuries (1700–1900), thousands of people from Grisons founded pastry shops and cafés all over the world, and later hotels, restaurants, breweries, and related businesses. It partly explains the success of tourism from 1850 onwards.
Initially, before colonisation by European countries (from the end of the 15th century), Central America was the leading producer of cocoa. The inhabitants—the Mayas, the Aztecs, and other peoples—used cocoa in various forms: as a drink, medicine, currency, a gift, or an offering to the gods. Today, West Africa is the leading cocoa supplier.
Cocoa
After the conquest of Central America, Europeans discovered and appreciated cocoa and chocolate. Until the end of the 18th century, however, this new product for Europe was reserved for the elite.
The Chocolate Revolution
The 19th century marked the beginning of chocolate’s era for the whole population. This period was marked not only by an industrial revolution but also by a chocolate revolution, in which Switzerland played a leading role.
Entrepreneurs and merchants were not only global pioneers in watchmaking, textiles, and, soon, mechanical engineering, comb manufacturing, railways, tunnel construction, hydroelectric power stations, and electrical engineering, but also in chocolate.
Inventions are never born in a vacuum, but in a context and a spirit of the times. Swiss merchants imported cocoa beans; farmers supplied abundant milk; and innovative entrepreneurs marketed new chocolates, backed by original advertising campaigns for the time. Their market was not limited to Europe, but extended worldwide!
Swiss chocolate pioneers
Rodolphe Lindt (1855–1909), François-Louis Cailler (1796–1852), Philippe Suchard (1797–1884), Theodor Tobler (1876–1941), Henri Nestlé (1814–1890), and Daniel Peter (1836–1919) are just a few of the many Swiss pioneers of chocolate.
François-Louis Cailler revolutionised chocolate production thanks to his steam engine. His chocolate factory, the first in Switzerland, was founded in 1819 in Vevey.
It is perhaps no coincidence that Henri Nestlé marketed condensed milk for children in Vevey. Daniel Peter applied this process to chocolate, which led to the creation of milk chocolate.
Philippe Suchard, the first multinational in chocolate, launched the world’s first marketing campaign in Neuchâtel. His advertisements in newspapers, posters, murals, and iconography are still collectors’ items today!
John Hassall (1868-1948), 1900. Collection: Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Neuchâtel
In Neuchâtel, Suchard’s posters and murals are still visible on walls and billboards. Theodor Tobler later designed posters that are now exhibited as works of art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Rodolphe Lindt and his Conchemachine. © Photo: Lindt Home of Chocolate
Rodolphe Lindt may have made one of the most revolutionary discoveries for chocolate lovers. His conche is a device that mixes chocolate with other ingredients, stirring and softening it until it tastes irresistible and “melts like chocolate on the tongue.”
In short, the Industrial Revolution made the cocoa bean a mass product accessible to all social classes in Europe. Multinationals eventually absorbed most Swiss chocolate manufacturers of the 19th century, but some remained independent, including Lindt-Sprüngli.
Their history and current operations are presented in various permanent exhibitions. The Maison Cailler in Broc (canton of Fribourg), the Chocolarium in Flawil (canton of St. Gallen), the Alimentarium in Vevey, or the Lindt House of Chocolate in Kilchberg (canton of Zurich) are just a few examples.
The world of chocolate in pictures, figures and geography
Lindt Home of Chocolate
The Lindt House of Chocolate presents not only the history of the cocoa bean, modern production methods, and research, but also offers the opportunity to taste and discover up close the many types of chocolate and their ingredients.
Conclusion
Another aspect is the centuries-old Swiss export, industrial innovation, entrepreneurial and commercial spirit, and outward-looking mentality. The “villages” of the primitive cantons (Urschweiz) and Appenzell, their metropolitan prestige and recognition as independent towns (Reichsunmittelbarkeit) in the Holy Roman Empire since the Middle Ages, also fit into this pattern. Chocolate is just one of many successful products.
The comparison with the Zuckerbäcker is not far-fetched. Chocolatiers and Zuckerbäcker did not succeed because they loved sweets. They created new products from nothing on a global scale because there was demand.
Although Switzerland is undeniably located in the heart of Europe and maintains good relations with European countries, this does not necessarily mean institutional membership in this international organisation is required.
On the contrary, Switzerland, its scientific research, universities, industry, commerce, institutions, and currency are focused on quality, subsidiarity, direct democracy, and decentralisation. The European Union, still young, is not compatible with these principles. Switzerland is more focused on quality; the European Union generally favours quantity.
When transferring legislative, judicial, and executive powers to this international organisation, it is wise to heed the conclusions of John Bowring’s 1835 report. At the time, he felt it was not wise for the Swiss Confederation to join the German Customs Union. Fear, activism, and opportunism are still poor advisers.
The photos in this article were taken at the Lindt House of Chocolate.
Impressions from Lindt Home of Chocolate
