Swiss chocolate manufacturer; production of bars, tablets and pralines entirely in Courtelary.
Chocolats Camille Bloch SA
Courtelary (CH) · Production, administration, visitor centreNew on Amplifa
About Chocolats Camille Bloch
Chocolats Camille Bloch SA is a Swiss chocolate producer headquartered in Courtelary in the Bernese Jura. The family business, founded in 1926 by Camille Bloch in Bern, has produced entirely at its single site in Courtelary since 1935 – from the roasting of cocoa beans, hazelnuts and almonds to the finished bar or tablet. Its best-known products are the hazelnut bar Ragusa, introduced in 1942 (over 50 percent of sales) and the almond praliné speciality Torino; since 2020 also dragéed hazelnuts and almonds under the SO NUTS brand. The company employs around 180 staff, produces approximately 3,500 tonnes of chocolate annually and exports around 20 percent of its production. Since 2018, Camille Bloch has operated its own hazelnut cultivation in Georgia; since 2017, a visitor centre with an experience world, workshops and shop has been open in Courtelary. The company offers business customers personalised chocolate products for trade fairs, gift and gastronomy purposes.
- Site
- Courtelary
- Processes
- Cocoa roasting (roasting of cocoa beans, hazelnuts, almonds), Chocolate production (from roasting to the finished bar or tablet), Dragéeing (dragéed hazelnuts and almonds, «SO NUTS» brand), Production of filled pralines/chocolate specialities (Ragusa, Torino, liqueur-filled pralines), Personalisation/packaging of chocolate according to customer preference, Own cultivation of hazelnuts (land in Georgia, acquired in 2018), Visitor centre with experience world, escape game, workshops, children's birthday parties, Bistro and brunch
- Materials
- Cocoa beans, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Chocolate (milk/dark/white chocolate), Hazelnut filling (gianduja/praliné), Liqueur (liqueur-filled pralines), Chocolate (milk/dark/white)
- Certificates
- Member of the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa
- Founded
- 1926
- Employees
- 180
- Industries
- Food / confectionery, Gastronomy, Trade fairs, Christmas and anniversary gifts, Gastronomy / gastronomy customers
- 01
Raw material procurement (cocoa, hazelnuts, almonds; own hazelnut cultivation in
- 02
Roasting of cocoa beans, hazelnuts and almonds
- 03
Chocolate production and filling production (gianduja/praliné, liqueurs)
- 04
Shaping into bars, tablets and pralines
- 05
Dragéeing (SO NUTS)
- 06
Packaging including personalisation for business customers
- 07
Shipping/export (approx. 20 %)
Raw materials
Cocoa beans
Basic raw material for milk, dark and white chocolate; roasted with electricity from renewable energies since 2025.
Hazelnuts
Core of the hazelnut filling (gianduja/praliné) of Ragusa as well as of the SO NUTS brand; partly from own cultivation in Georgia.
Almonds
Basis of the almond filling of Torino and of the dragéed SO NUTS products.
Chocolate (milk/dark/white)
Coating and tablet chocolate for bars, tablets and pralines including liqueur-filled specialities.
Sites
Courtelary
CHProduction, administration, visitor centre
- Part weight / size
- Bar format up to 100 g
- Lot size
- ca. 3,500 t/year
- Materials
- Cocoa beans, hazelnuts, almonds, chocolate
- Cocoa roasting plant (2025, renewable electricity)
- Wood chip heating system
- Solar panels
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa roasting (roasting of cocoa beans, hazelnuts, almonds)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cocoa beans, Hazelnuts, Almonds |
| Chocolate production (from roasting to the finished bar or tablet)Plastics | – | – | 100 g (bar format) | ca. 3'500 tonnes annual production | Chocolate, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Cocoa |
| Dragéeing (dragéed hazelnuts and almonds, «SO NUTS» brand)Surface | – | – | – | – | Hazelnuts, Almonds |
| Production of filled pralines/chocolate specialities (Ragusa, Torino, liqueur-filled pralines)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Chocolate, Hazelnut filling, Almond praliné, Liqueur |
| Personalisation/packaging of chocolate according to customer preferenceAssembly | – | – | – | – | Chocolate, Packaging material |
| Own cultivation of hazelnuts (land in Georgia, acquired in 2018)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Hazelnuts |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa roasting plant | – | 1 | – | 2025 | Courtelary, Switzerland |
| Wood chip heating system | – | – | – | – | Courtelary, Switzerland |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
According to its own statements, the company places value on natural raw materials, trustworthy suppliers and traceability. It is a member of the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa.
| Evidence | Courtelary |
|---|---|
| Member of the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa |
History
- 1926
Founding of Camille Bloch in Bern as «Chocolats et Bonbons fins Camille Bloch»
- 1929
Registration as a stock corporation in the commercial register
- 1935
Relocation to Courtelary and renaming to «Chocolats Camille Bloch SA»
- 1942
Introduction of the Ragusa chocolate bar
- 1970
Death of Camille Bloch; son Rolf Bloch takes over the management
- 1997
Sons of Rolf Bloch take over the operational business
- 2004
Publication of the book «Camille Bloch – 75 Jahre süsse Genüsse» for the 75th anniversary
- 2005
Daniel Bloch becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors
- 2008
Market launch of «Ragusa Noir»
- 2014
Market launch of «Ragusa Blond»
- 2017
Opening of the visitor centre (over 100,000 visitors in the first year)
- 2018
Acquisition of land in Georgia for own hazelnut cultivation
- 2020
Market launch of «SO NUTS»
- 2025
Conversion of the cocoa roasting plant to renewable electricity