Swiss chocolate factory for private label, branded products as well as couvertures and semi-finished products.
Stella Bernrain (Chocolat Bernrain AG / Chocolat Stella SA)
Kreuzlingen (CH) · Giubiasco (CH)New on Amplifa
About Stella Bernrain
Stella Bernrain is an independent Swiss family-owned company with the entities Chocolat Bernrain AG in Kreuzlingen and Chocolat Stella SA in Giubiasco. The company develops and produces chocolate specialities for customers worldwide: alongside its own brands Bernrain and Stella, above all private-label products, which account for around 85 percent of production, as well as couvertures and semi-finished products for industrial, commercial and confectionery customers. The company draws on more than 3'000 recipes, including organic, Fairtrade, Demeter, kosher and halal products as well as vegan, lactose-free and sugar-free chocolates. Production takes place at both Swiss sites on modern systems – from mixing through rolling and conching to pre-crystallisation, moulding and packaging. The products are delivered to over 50 countries; production has been CO2-neutral with myclimate since 2011.
- Site
- Kreuzlingen
- Processes
- Mixing chocolate raw materials, Rolling the pasty mixture, Conching chocolate mass, Pre-crystallising chocolate, Moulding chocolate, Packaging chocolate, Private label / OEM chocolate production, Couverture and semi-finished product manufacturing
- Materials
- Cocoa, Cocoa butter, Sugar, Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate, Lactose-free chocolate, Vegan chocolate with coconut blossom sugar, Cocoa-free chocolate alternative based on sunflower seeds
- Certificates
- CO2-neutral production (myclimate)
- Founded
- 1928 (Choc
- Industries
- Food retail (private label), Industrial and commercial customers, Confectioneries and bakeries/patisseries
- 01
Recipe development
- 02
Mixing/kneading of raw materials
- 03
Rolling of the mass (< 20 µm)
- 04
Conching
- 05
Pre-crystallising (tempering)
- 06
Moulding
- 07
Packaging
- 08
Worldwide shipping
Raw materials and recipes
Cocoa and cocoa butter
Main raw materials, partly from long-standing cooperations with smallholder cooperatives in South America and Asia.
Sugar
Basic ingredient of the recipes, also alternatively as coconut blossom sugar for vegan products.
Milk powder / lactose-free ingredients
Basis for milk chocolates, including a recipe for lactose-intolerant consumers.
Nuts and sultanas
Additions for bars and small formats, plain or filled.
Sunflower seed base
Foundation of the cocoa-free chocolate alternative "ChoViva".
Sites
Kreuzlingen
CHProduction, new building 2021 with factory store and Café Stella
- Materials
- Chocolate recipes of all kinds
- Mixers (kneading)
- Rolling mills
- Conches
- Moulding machines
- Automated packaging machines
- Heat recovery system
- Photovoltaic system
Giubiasco
CHProduction, factory store La Bottega del Cioccolato
- Materials
- Chocolate specialities
- Modern production facilities (2013)
- Heat pump
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixing chocolate raw materialsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Sugar, Ingredients for chocolate recipes |
| Rolling the pasty mixtureForming | Particle size < 20 µm | – | – | – | Chocolate mass |
| Conching chocolate massAssembly | – | – | – | – | Chocolate mass |
| Pre-crystallising chocolateHeat treatment | Cooling from 50°C to 28°C, reheating to 30–32°C | – | – | – | Chocolate, Cocoa butter |
| Moulding chocolateForming | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
| Packaging chocolateAssembly | – | – | – | – | Chocolate, Packaging materials |
| Private label / OEM chocolate productionAssembly | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
| Couverture and semi-finished product manufacturingAssembly | – | – | – | – | Couvertures, Semi-finished products |
9 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixers (kneading of raw materials) | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Rolling mills | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Conches | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Moulding machines (moulding chocolate) | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Automated packaging machines | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Production hall with state-of-the-art systems | – | – | – | 2021 | Kreuzlingen |
| Heat pump | – | – | – | 2013 | Giubiasco |
| Photovoltaic system | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
| Heat recovery system | – | – | – | – | Kreuzlingen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and sustainability
The quality system meets the strict requirements of international norms and standards; production follows defined recipes and procedures for the manufacture of safe food. Since 2011, production has been CO2-neutral with myclimate.
| Evidence | Kreuzlingen | Giubiasco |
|---|---|---|
| CO2-neutral production (myclimate) |
History
- 1928
Achille Vanotti founds Chocolat Stella in Giubiasco.
- 1932
Heinrich Weibel founds the Bernrain chocolate factory in Kreuzlingen.
- 1950
Walter and Karin Müller purchase Chocolat Bernrain.
- 1955
Production of Switzerland's first private-label chocolate for the Lebensmittelverein Zürich.
- 1956
Construction of a modern chocolate factory; transition to industrial production.
- 1960
Dr. Franco Vanotti develops Switzerland's first sugar-free chocolate.
- 1980
Heat recovery system saves 98 % of fresh water consumption; Dr. Vanotti sells Chocolat Stella to Chocolat Bernrain.
- 1991
One of the first fair-trade chocolates (with El Ceibo, Bolivia) as well as the first organic chocolate for Pronatec AG.
- 2003
Development of a milk chocolate for lactose-intolerant consumers.
- 2007
Monica Müller takes over the management of the company.
- 2011
CO2-neutral production with myclimate; packaging with biodegradable film.
- 2013
New production facilities in Giubiasco with heat pump; photovoltaic system in Kreuzlingen.
- 2014
Launch of the first vegan and lactose-free chocolate with coconut blossom sugar.
- 2015
Thurgau Apple Prize and Swiss Packaging Award for the Organic & Fair bars.
- 2019
Launch of a Demeter chocolate.
- 2021
Occupancy of the new building in Kreuzlingen with production hall, Café Stella and SchokoLaden.
- 2023
Introduction of paper-based flow pack packaging.
- 2024
Limited Editions "ChoViva & Cookies" and "Cocoa Fruit Crunch".
- 2025
Brand relaunch STELLA "Swiss Chocolate with Character"; "ApriCoa" among the Top 10 of the Anuga Taste Innovation Show.