There are two main reasons that make Ferrero truly original-the products invented by founder Pietro and the effective yet very secret production of the sweet treat.

 

Through Nutella, Pietro pioneered the confectionery industry in Italy. Confectionery was eaten on special occasions only until Pietro’s Nutella, which was known as Supercrema Gianduja, became an after school tradition in Italy and was used as a spread for bread. The idea came to Pietro during World War II when cocoa was scarce and he looked for ways to make a fine chocolate that could be readily available. To make the cocoa stretch, he added ground hazelnuts. While the recipe itself was innovative, it was the approach Ferrero took to production that was truly unique. While many companies outsourced on certain parts of production to save on costs, the very private Ferrero family did everything themselves. Recipes were written in Arabic and hidden in Cairo to keep safe and only employees could enter the factories. No visitors or press were permitted. No interviews or press conferences were given. What went on in the Ferrero factories stayed in the Ferrero factories. To achieve perfect quality, all the raw materials were sourced directly and they had an in-house team testing new creations. There was even a chocolate laboratory in Ferrero’s home (Michele, son of Pietro). Only the very best passed the test. Ferrero also had an in-house engineering team and the machinery used in factories were built in-house and they devised machinery that could produce the high quality confectionery that they desired which added to production costs. The chocolate was delivered directly to customers and as early as 1950, Ferrero had a fleet of 200 vans that travelled around Italy delivering Ferrero while promoting the brand. Those early production steps in Italy, which Michele later rolled out worldwide, led to the building of a billion dollar empire  #ferrero #ferrerorocher #easter #eastereggs #entrepreneur #chocolate