Daniel Bloch receives European Candy Kettle Award

Daniel Bloch, CEO and chairman of the board at Chocolats Camille Bloch SA, Switzerland, has received the 2024 European Candy Kettle Award. The award ceremony took place at the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Bern, Switzerland on October 18.

Chocolats Camille Bloch, a third-generation family-owned business, is known for its Ragusa and Torino brands. The company has reportedly developed a robust structure that enables it to navigate challenges such as rising cocoa prices, hazelnut availability, and the slight downward trend in the Swiss chocolate market.

Camille Bloch launched its first 50g-chocolate bar with Ragusa in 1942, and celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2022. Its latest invention is So Nuts Coffee, however Bloch‘s most successful invention was Ragusa Blond, a blonde chocolate that that has gained company recognition in Switzerland and Europe, per hte brand. Bloch and his team are establishing a hazelnut farm in Georgia covering 650 hectares with a return on this investment, expected around 2030.

Bloch is married to Esther Schönenberger Bloch and has three children, Salome (2000), Arsène (2002), and Danaë (2006).

The European Candy Kettle Club was able to conduct an interview with Bloch about the company, the significance of winning this year’s ECKC-Award, and the future of Chocolats Camille Bloch:

European Candy Kettle Club: Please tell us where Chocolats Camille Bloch is located and what your main brands are.

Daniel Bloch: Chocolats Camille Bloch was founded by my grandfather in 1929 in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. In 1935, he relocated the company to Courtelary, a rural village at the center of the watchmaking and precision industry in the northern part of our canton. Since then, we have been producing our specialty chocolates from bean to bar right here. Our flagship brands include Ragusa, introduced in 1942 during World War II when cocoa was scarce, and Torino, another filled chocolate, launched in 1948.

ECKC: You have just been awarded best European Confectioner. What does it mean for you and your company?

DB: [For me], this award represents far more than just personal recognition. It symbolizes the collective accomplishments made possible through the trust and support of those around me and the fulfilment that comes from building something lasting, with my family, who believed in me; my colleagues, who stood by me; to aligning our dreams with the resources we have and the expectations we face.

ECKC: Chocolate is a big challenge for the industry not only because of the cocoa prices. How do you manage to keep your production running and your products quality at the top level they are?

DB: I’m often reminded of what Walter von Känel, the longtime president of Longines Watches, once told me: to achieve success, you must stay within your league, maintain consistent quality, and be clear about where to focus your greatest efforts.

ECKC: Where do you see yourself and \Camille Bloch in 10-15 years?

DB: By that time, I will be approaching my zenith, and we will still be producing some of Switzerland’s most iconic chocolate brands.