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The sensation of chocolate
Colliers is advising the Swiss chocolatier, Läderach, on its expansion into the UK. We spoke to the business’s CEO.
T
hink of Switzerland and you may immediately think of premium watches and chocolate. The heritage linking the two products and the Alpine nation is so strong that in 2012 it provided the inspiration for an amusing
award-winning short cinema film which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Swiss brand Läderach.
Many will already be familiar with the name of this producer of artisanal chocolates and confectionery, though those wary of umlauts might perhaps be less certain about its pronunciation. Say “lay-der-achhh” and the company’s chief executive Johannes Läderach will probably give you an enthusiastic thumbs ups.
He represents the third generation of the family involved in confectionery, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Rudolf, who founded the business in 1962, and his father, Jürg, who passed on the role of chief executive to him in 2018. The company has always been based in the picture postcard-perfect surroundings of the Glarus canton in eastern Switzerland, 70km south-east of Zurich. “Switzerland is our home and DNA. Swiss values such as quality, responsibility and reliability are a key factor in everything we do,” says Johannes.
Those values were so important that for the first 20 years of the company’s existence, its products were only available in Switzerland. The initial steps of selling abroad and expanding the manufacturing base to neighbouring Germany started in the 1980s. A recent reappraisal of provenance has seen production once more return exclusively to Switzerland (located within two major manufacturing bases), though the drive to introduce the Läderach brand to a global audience is stronger than ever.
The sensation of chocolate
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