By Adriana Gibbs.
Photo: Natalia Brand @Gastrobrand
For many people Savoy is a word that encourages joy. Who has not changed the mood by a CRI-CRI? Who is able to resist the charm of the famous Toronto or a Carré? And also, not a few Venezuelans these chocolates produce childhood nostalgia. This brand has arrived to 75 years of age. “Since 1941 Venezuelan’s history tastes and smells like chocolate Savoy. This word that stands for tradition ” Andreina Quinones states, the Brand Manager. Its milestones are described as follows:
1941: The Austrian brothers Roberto, Fernando and Rodolfo Beer are associated with Venezuelan- Scottish John Millar, and founded the factory Savoy, named after London’s Savoy hotel due to their admiration for this. The initial capital share was Bs. 80,000. They started business in a factory located in El Valle with some machines that Millar had to make milky and bitter chocolates.
1949: There are launched in dragées: Toronto, Ping Pong, Boston and Bolero.
1956: Three new products in the market: Susy, Cocosette and Samba.
1969: They open a factory located in Boleíta that expanded its production.
1970: There is the debut of two products: cup chocolate and puffed-rice chocolate.
1980: The puffed-rice chocolate is named Cri Cri
1988: Savoy becomes part of Nestle portfolio.
1991: On its 50th Anniversary, Savoy launches a Special Edition chocolate, previous to Carré tablet.
1998: Santa Cruz plant, located in Aragua state is opened, which meant a quantitative growth for the brand
2007: Carré chocolate is launched.
2011: Savoy releases the spreadable line with coconut and dessert tablets.
2012: Nestlé Cocoa Plan starts in Aragua, Mérida and Sucre states. “It is a comprehensive supporting programme to cocoa producer, which goals are based on technical training to farmers for crop management, direct support for improving the farms, promotion of breeding enhancement, encouragement of cooperation among farmers and training in post-harvest practices (fermentation). All these programmes are cost-free for the producer. More than 900 producers within this Plan have improved their quality of life and their families’. Also, more than 200,000 plants have been delivered to farmers” Quinones explains.
2016: Savoy reaches 75 years of age.
Did you know?…
- Nestlé has a chocolate museum, located in Santa Cruz Factory, Aragua. It receives an annual average of 18,000 visitors, including children and adults, from various cities. They are given a thematic tour that provides information on the Venezuelan cacao and its process to become it into chocolate.
- The processing time of a tablet in Santa Cruz plant is 6 to 10 hours average.
- A tasting panel in Santa Cruz, Aragua Factory has the rigorous and envied work of evaluating every day at different times each one of the elaborations of Savoy.
