Ferrero, the Ferrari of Chocolates

Necessity is the mother of all inventions.  As with other things, this maxim holds true with chocolates.  This is the story of Ferrero chocolates . 

In 1946, after the World War II (WWII), the supply of chocolates and confectionaries were scant, thus these sweets were only served on special occasions.    This prompted the innovative mind of master confectioner, Pietro Ferrero, to create an extender to the limited supply of cocoa.  Signore Ferrero’s hometown, Alba, a quiet province in Piemonte, Italy, is famous for white truffles (tartufi bianchi) and the Tonda Gentile (Gianduja) hazelnuts.  Senor Ferrero decided to take advantage of the abundance of the Tonda Gentile hazelnuts to expand the chocolate supply.  He created Pasta Gianduja, a paste from hazelnut and cocoa.  Hence, he founded the chocolatier company, Ferrero SpA, which mass-produced high quality chocolates at affordable prices.  Pietro’s son Michele Ferrero, modified his father’s recipe and created Nutella, first sold in 1964. 

Ferrero Rocher chocolate was introduced by Ferrero SpA in 1982.  Rocher is French which means “rock”.  The individual gold-colored foil wrapper reveals a chocolate sphere containing  a whole roasted hazelnut inside a shell of thin wafer croquante filled with Nutella hazelnut cream and covered with milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.

A range of Ferrero chocolates, with the look and type of the Rocher, were created and sold separately or in collection boxes.

Ferrero Rondnoir – with a 'pearl' of dark chocolate, surrounded by a dark chocolate cream, encased in a croquante encrusted with dark chocolate Sprinkles.

Ferrero Garden (Coconut) – with a half almond, surrounded with coconut cream, encased in wafer coated with coconut flakes, and topped with white chocolate icing cap.

The Ferrero Collection is a giftable box of Rocher, Rondnoir and Garden (Coconut)

Ferrero Garden (Lemon) – with a half almond, surrounded with lemon cream, topped with lemon icing cap.

Ferrero Garden (Forest Fruits) – with a half almond, with strawberry & raspberry cream centre, topped with strawberry icing cap.

Ferrero Garden (Pistachio) – with a half almond, with pistachio cream centre, topped with pistachio icing cap.

The Ferrero Garden is a collection box of Garden flavors (Coconut, Strawberry-Raspberry, Pistachio and Lemon)

  

The Ferrero Garden Collection look like shiny Christmas balls

The Ferrero Garden Pistachio

Ferrero Garden (Almond) – with a half almond, with almond cream centre, topped with almond icing cap.

Ferrero Garden (Hazelnut) – with a half almond, with nutella-type centre, topped with white chocolate icing cap.

Ferrero Giotto – a chocolate cream centre, within a wafer sphere coated with hazelnut pieces.

Ferrero Raffaello – with a half almond, surrounded by meringue and milk cream, encased in coconut wafer coated with coconut flakes.

Raffaello is a dainty coconut version of the Rocher

While the Rocher is wrapped in golden colored foil, the Rondnoir has a dark brown wrapper, and the Garden series have a silver foil wrapper with an illustration of the fruit or nut under the brand tag.

The Ferrero Collection in their shiny wrappers

The Ferrero Collection unwrapped!

Ferrero SpA company achieved success headed by Pietro's son, Michele Ferrero, then Michele's son Pietro (the founder's grandson), oversaw the global business before he died at the age of 47 in a cycling accident in April 2011.  In 2009, Reputation Institute's Survey ranked Ferrero as the most reputable company in the world.  It is a private company owned by the Ferrero family and has been described as "one of the world's most secretive firms".  It guards against industrial espionage and has never held a press conference nor does it allow media visits of its plants.  Ferrero products are made with machines designed by its in-house engineers.

From Italy to most parts of Europe where its plants are located, Ferrero chocolates have gained wide acclaim.  Ferrero chocolates also have a large following in Asia.  In the Philippines, most groceries and hypermarts retail the Rocher in a 3-piece single pack and in boxes of 16, 18 or 24 pieces.  The collection boxes (the Prestige Collection of Rocher, Rondnoir and Garden Coconut and the Garden Collection of Coconut, Lemon, Strawberry-Raspberry and Pistachio) are typically found in duty free stores, such as the Royal Duty Free in Subic, Olongapo City.  

From a humble beginning in Italy after wartime, Ferrero chocolates have achieved an elite class distinction.  Its European advertisement set in the Ambassador’s House in U.K., showed a butler gliding between party guests to give them the Rochers which were perched on a pyramid over a silver tray.    The guests uttered compliments such as “Eccellente” and “Monsieur, with these Rochers you are spoiling us”.   Said advertisement has been the  subject of varied opinions relating to socio-economic concerns.  But once the exquisite taste of the Rocher and its varieties touch the palate of critics, for a moment they seem to leave their arguments in limbo.  Really, anything that's sweet softens the angst, even for just a moment.

Probably a new advertisement will tame the argument on the Ambassador's version.  I have a suggestion to Signores Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero.  The concept is Ferrero and Ferrari, since both are Italian.  And the names complement each other.

The multi-awarded F2002

So, the ad will show a glossy red Ferrari like the F2002 running as fast as a bullet on a Formula 1 racetrack, then it comes to a halt and surprise!  Michael Schumacher is on the driver's seat, unwrapping a Ferrero Rocher and eats it leisurely.  Then he says, "break time."  

Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari years

But since Schumacher is with Mercedes GP now, it would be a challenge how Ferrero SpA would commission the greatest F1 driver of all time to do the ad.  I think only Michael Schumacher is synonymous with Ferrari.  

Or probably just do away with the concept of Ferrero and Ferrari and simply use a Mercedes race car instead of a Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher in it, to make things easier.











They could munch on some Rochers while thinking about it.  :)

:)