The complete list of all chocolate bars produced by Nestle Group, including regional brands, chocolate bars produced under licence, detailed descriptions and fun facts of the main chocolate bars.
Nestle owns a lot of iconic chocolate brands and individual chocolates such as Kit Kat, Smarties or Aero, but also owns large regional chocolate making companies, such as Orion, Cailer or Garoto, that make their own wide range of chocolate bars and confectionery.
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Nestle Chocolates company history
Nestle’s company history began in 1866 with the foundation of the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company.
The company was founded by Henri Nestlé, who developed a breakthrough infant food in 1867. In 1905, the company merged with Anglo-Swiss to form what is now known as the Nestlé Group.
Over the years, Nestle has expanded its product offerings to include a wide range of food and beverage products, including chocolate bars, coffee, pet food, dry food ingredients for professional chefs and many more. Today, Nestle has around 275,000 employees and is present in 188 countries.
Henri Nestle – The founder of Nestle Chocolates
Henri Nestle (born Heinrich Nestle) was a Swiss-German confectioner and the founder of Nestle, the world’s largest food and beverage company.
He was born on August 10, 1814, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and trained as a pharmacist. After completing his apprenticeship, he spent time working abroad and in 1839, he moved to Switzerland and started to work as a pharmacist’s assistant in Vevey.
His training in chemistry helped him to approach his food innovations with a precision, but it wasn’t just food Henri Nestle experimented with. As a constant innovator, he experimented with the production of everything from lemonade to cement before focusing on baby food.
In 1867, Henri Nestle developed a breakthrough infant food, which was a mixture of cow’s milk, wheat flour, and sugar. This product was the foundation of the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, which Nestle founded in 1866. The infant food was marketed as a substitute for breast milk, and it quickly gained popularity due to its nutritional value and convenience. This product was the beginning of Nestle’s success in the food and beverage industry.
Henri Nestle passed away on July 7, 1890, in Montreux, Switzerland. After Henri Nestle’s death, the company was taken over by a group of investors led by his longtime business partner, Charles Page.
MORE CHOCOLATE HISTORY
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List of all chocolate bars manufactured by Nestle
In this list I’ve included all the chocolate bars produced by Nestle including regional and less know chocolate bars. I’ve also included all the different variations of the main chocolate bars apart from Kit Kat. Kit Kat is a big brand in Japan and there are over 40 different flavours of Kit Kat that are manufactured only in Japan.
This list also includes chocolate bars, that are owned by Nestle (such as Polly Waffle or Violet Crumble) but local confectioner companies have purchased or made a deal with Nestle to produce the chocolate bars on their behalf.
There are confectionery chocolate products such as Matchmakers or After Dinner Mints, which are also manufactured by Nestle, but I wouldn’t exactly labeled them as ‘chocolate bars’.
There are 34 chocolate bars in total (not including flavour variations) that I managed to find out for you. No doubt, this list will continue to change as some chocolate bars are discontinued and new introduced, so if you think of any other chocolate bars produced by Nestle, let me know in the comments bellow.
- Aero
- Aero Caramel
- Aero Dark
- Aero Dark & Milk
- Aero Duet
- Aero Mint
- Aero Orange
- Animal Bar (UK)
- Bar One (India, South Africa)
- Big Turk (Canada)
- Bertie Beetle (Australia)
- Breakaway (UK)
- Bros (Netherlands)
- Carlos V (Mexico)
- Chokito (Australia, New Zealand)
- Coffee Crisp (Canada)
- Coffee Crisp Cafe Caramel
- Coffee Crisp French Vanilla
- Coffee Crisp Orange
- Coffee Crisp Mocha
- Coffee Crisp Tripple Chocolate
- Coffee Crisp Raspberry
- Cri-Cri (Venezuela)
- Crisp (USA)
- Baby Ruth Crisp
- Crunch Crisp
- Butterfinger Crisp
- Drifter (UK)
- KitKat
- KitKat Chunky
- KitKat Dark
- KitKat White
- KitKat Senses
- Kit Kat Ruby
- Lion Bar
- Lion Black & White
- Lion Peanut
- Lion White
- Milkybar
- Mirage (Canada)
- Munch
- Nestle Crunch
- Nestle Crunch Dark
- Nestle Milk Chocolate
- Nestle Tripple Decter
- Nestle Crunch White
- Nestle Crunch with Caramel
- Nestle Crunch with Peanuts
- Nuts (UK)
- Peppermint Crisp (Australia)
- Polly Waffle (Australia)
- Princessa (Poland) – chocolate wafer
- Smarties
- Tex (South Africa)
- Tin Larin (Mexico)
- Toffee Crisp (UK)
- Vice Versas (UK)
- Violet Crumble (Australia)
- White Knight (Australia) – discontinued in 2016
- Wonka Bar
- Yorkie (UK)
MORE CHOCOLATE HISTORY
List of the most popular individual chocolate bars & confectionery produced by Nestle
This is the most popular list of chocolate bars produced directly by Nestle (and not by other companies on behalf of Nestle).
- Aero
- Kit Kat
- Milkybar – white chocolate bar
- Smarties
- Quality Street – assorted chocolates and snack bars in various gift packaging
- Crunch (produced worldwide by Nestle, apart from the USA, where it’s produced under licence by the Ferrara Candy Company (Ferrero).
- Lion
- Wonka (discontinued in 2010 – 2014, but continues as a brand for sweets in USA)
- Les Recettes de l’Atelier – premium chocolate bars
- Much – available only in India
- Cui Cui Shark – available only in China
Since there are so many chocolate bars that overlap with the most popular chocolate bars in USA and in favourite snack bars in UK I’ve only included detailed descriptions of the most popular Nestle bars in the next section of this blog post.
Aero
Aero is a chocolate bar that is known for its unique bubbly texture. It was first produced by Rowntree’s in 1935 in Great Britain, and it is now owned by Nestle. The Aero bar is made of milk chocolate that has been aerated to create small bubbles, giving it a light and airy texture.
Some of the most popular Aero flavours include:
- Milk Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
- White Chocolate
- Mint Chocolate
- Orange Chocolate
- Caramel Chocolate
- Mousse Chocolate
Fun facts about Aero:
- The process of making the bubbly texture of the Aero chocolate bar was patented in 1935 in New York by Rowntree’s.
- Aero bars were first introduced in the North of England as the “new chocolate” in 1935, and they quickly became popular with consumers.
- Aero bars were given to British soldiers during World War II as part of their rations.
- In Canada, Aero bars are known for their slogan “Have you felt the bubbles melt?” and are often used in advertising campaigns.
- Aero bars are often used in baking and can be used to make desserts such as Aero chocolate mousse.
Kit Kat
Kit Kat is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection that was created by Rowntree’s of York, United Kingdom, in 1935. Today, Kit Kat is produced globally by Nestle, except in the United States, where it is made under license by the H.B. Reese Candy Company, a division of the Hershey Company.
Kit Kat bars are made up of multiple layers of crisp wafers covered in chocolate. The original Kit Kat bar was made with milk chocolate, but over the years, a variety of flavours and variations have been introduced.
Some of the most popular Kit Kat flavours include:
- Dark Chocolate
- White Chocolate
- Matcha Green Tea
- Strawberry
- Mint Chocolate
- Caramel
- Hazelnut Cream
- Lemon Crisp
- Orange
- Raspberry
- Sake
- Ruby Chocolate
- Peanut Butter
Fun facts about Kit Kat
- Kit Kat is the world’s first chocolate bar to be made with 100% sustainable cocoa.
- Kit Kat is one of the best-selling chocolate bars in the world, with over 17 billion individual bars sold each year.
- In Japan, Kit Kat is a popular gift item and is often given as a good luck charm. The name Kit Kat sounds similar to the Japanese phrase “kitto katsu,” which means “you will surely win.”
- In Japan, Kit Kat bars come in a variety of unique flavors, including green tea, wasabi, and sake.
- In the United Kingdom, Kit Kat bars are often used in advertising campaigns and have been featured in popular slogans such as “Have a break, have a Kit Kat.”
Milkybar
Milkybar is a white chocolate confectionery that was first produced by Nestle in 1936. It is sold worldwide under the Milkybar brand name, except in the United States, where it is sold under the name “Nestle Alpine White.”
Milkybar is made of a creamy white chocolate that contains no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. The brand is known for its simple and pure ingredients, with a focus on the goodness of real milk.
Fun facts about Milkybar:
- Milkybar was first introduced in the UK in 1936 and quickly became a popular treat with consumers.
- In the 1960s, Milkybar introduced a line of “Milkybar Buttons,” which are small, bite-sized pieces of white chocolate that are perfect for snacking.
- In the 1970s, Milkybar introduced a character called Milkybar Kid, who was used in advertising campaigns and became a beloved icon in the UK.
- In 2018, Milkybar introduced a new recipe that contains more milk than ever before, making it even creamier and more delicious.
- Milkybar is a popular ingredient in baking and can be used to make a variety of desserts, including white chocolate cheesecake and white chocolate fudge.
Smarties
Smarties are a colourful candy-coated chocolate confectionery that was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1937. They are now sold in over 25 countries worldwide and are owned by Nestle.
Smarties are made of a milk chocolate centre that is coated in a colourful candy shell. The original Smarties contained red, yellow, green, pink, violet, and brown colours, but over the years, the colours and flavours have changed.
Fun facts about Smarties:
- Smarties were originally called “Chocolate Beans” when they were first introduced in the UK in 1937.
- During World War II, Smarties were not produced due to a shortage of ingredients. When production resumed after the war, the brown Smarties were replaced with orange ones.
- In Canada, Smarties are known for their slogan “Do you eat the red ones last?” and are often used in advertising campaigns.
- In the United Kingdom, Smarties are often used in baking and can be used to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
- Smarties are available in a variety of flavours, including milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.
- Orion chocolate company (Czech Republic) was ‘inspired’ by Smarties to produce their own version called ‘Lentilky’. They look and taste exactly like Smarties and they are still very popular sweets sold in the Czech Republic.
Quality Street
Quality Street is a line of chocolates and toffees that was first produced by Mackintosh’s in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, in 1936. The brand was named after a J.M. Barrie play called “Quality Street.” The original assortment contained 12 different varieties of chocolates and toffees, each with a different colored wrapper. Quality Street quickly became a popular treat in Britain and around the world.
In 1969, Mackintosh’s was acquired by Rowntree’s, which was later acquired by Nestle in 1988. Today, Quality Street is still produced by Nestle and is sold in over 50 countries around the world.
Fun facts about Quality Street chocolates:
- The original assortment of Quality Street contained 12 different varieties of chocolates and toffees, including Milk Chocolate Block, Vanilla Fudge, Orange Cream, and Toffee Penny.
- The Toffee Penny is the oldest variety of Quality Street and has been included in every assortment since 1936.
- In the 1980s, Quality Street introduced a limited edition assortment called “Chocolate Cremes,” which contained only cream-filled chocolates in different flavors.
- In the United Kingdom, Quality Street is a popular Christmas treat and is often given as a gift or used to decorate Christmas trees.
- In 2019, Quality Street announced that it was removing the Toffee Deluxe variety from its assortment and replacing it with a new chocolate called “Chocolate Caramel Brownie.”
Crunch
Crunch is a chocolate bar that is made of milk chocolate and crisped rice. It was first introduced by Nestle in the United States in 1938, and it is now sold in over 40 countries worldwide.
Crunch bars are made of a creamy milk chocolate that is mixed with crisped rice, giving it a unique texture and flavor. The combination of smooth chocolate and crunchy rice has made Crunch a popular treat with consumers around the world.
Fun facts about Crunch:
- Crunch was created by Nestle’s research and development team in the 1930s as a way to use up excess rice that had been produced.
- The original Crunch bar was called “Nestle Crunch” and was sold exclusively in the United States until the 1990s, when it was introduced to other countries.
- In the United States, Crunch bars are produced under license by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero.
- In Japan, Crunch bars are known as “Crunky” and are available in a variety of flavors, including green tea and strawberry.
- Crunch bars are a popular ingredient in baking and can be used to make desserts such as Crunch bar brownies and Crunch bar cookies.
Lion
Lion is a chocolate bar that is currently owned and manufactured by Nestle. The brand was originally introduced by the British company Rowntree’s in 1976.
The Lion chocolate bar is made of a combination of caramel, wafer, and crisped rice, which is then covered in milk chocolate. The result is a chewy, crispy chocolate bar that is quite satisfying.
Fun facts about Lion:
- The Lion chocolate bar was first launched by Yorkshire confectionery company Rowntree’s in Fawdon, Newcastle in 1976.
- The production of Lion bars was moved to a factory in Dijon, France when it was bought by Swiss company Nestle in 1988.
- Lion bars are now sold in over 40 countries worldwide, and they are known for their unique combination of textures and flavors.
- The Lion chocolate bar has been used in advertising campaigns around the world, including the UK, where it was featured in a popular commercial in the 1980s that featured a lion singing “Give me a break.”
- In some countries, including the UK, Lion bars are also available in a dark chocolate version.
Wonka Chocolate Bar
Nestle Wonka is a brand of candy products that is owned by Nestle. The brand was named after the fictional character Willy Wonka from the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl. The Nestle Wonka brand is known for its unique and unusual flavors, such as Nerds, Runts, and Laffy Taffy.
The Wonka chocolate bar was a chocolate bar that was produced under the Wonka brand name. The bar consisted of small graham cracker pieces dipped in milk chocolate. The brand was launched by Chicago’s Breaker Confections in 1976 and was later purchased by Nestle in 1988. Other bars produced included Wonka Xploder, Wonkalate, and Wonka Biscuits.
The Wonka chocolate bar was last sold in the UK in 2005, when it was launched to tie in with the Johnny Depp movie. At the time, The Grocer reported sales of £3.6m two weeks after launch.
Wonka is originally a fictional chocolate brand that was created by author Roald Dahl in his 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The Wonka brand was later used in the film adaptations of the book, including “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in 1971 and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in 2005.
In the book and films, the Wonka brand is known for its unique and unusual flavours, such as Fizzy Lifting Drinks and Everlasting Gobstoppers. The Wonka brand has become a beloved icon in popular culture, and it has been used in advertising campaigns and merchandise.
The Wonka chocolate bar has been discontinued in some countries, but it is still available in others. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Wonka bar was discontinued in 2012 but was reintroduced in 2013 with new flavors. However, in the United States, the Wonka brand is still used for a line of candy products, including Nerds, Runts, and Laffy Taffy.
Fun facts about Wonka Chocolate Bar
- The Wonka brand was created by author Roald Dahl for his book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which was published in 1964.
- The first film adaptation of the book, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” was released in 1971 and starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
- In the 2005 film adaptation of the book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Johnny Depp played the role of Willy Wonka.
- The Wonka brand has been used in a variety of merchandise, including candy, toys, and clothing.
- In the United States, the Wonka brand is owned by Nestle and is used for a line of candy products, including Nerds, Runts, and Laffy Taffy.
Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier
Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier is a premium chocolate brand that was launched by Nestlé in Switzerland and France in 2014. The brand name roughly translates to “recipes of the artisan’s shop,” and it is known for its high-quality ingredients and artisanal approach to chocolate making.
Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier chocolate bars are made of carefully selected cocoa beans and other high-quality ingredients, such as hazelnuts and almonds. The chocolate is crafted in small batches to ensure the highest quality and flavor.
Fun facts about Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier:
- Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier is Nestlé’s fastest-growing confectionery brand in Europe, and it is now sold in over 15 countries worldwide.
- The brand has won several awards for its premium quality and unique flavors, including a Gold Medal at the International Chocolate Awards in 2015.
- Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier has a range of unique flavors, including Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Hazelnuts, Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Hazelnuts, and Dark Chocolate with Orange and Almond.
- The brand has a focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing, using only 100% sustainable cocoa in its chocolate bars.
- Nestlé Les Recettes de l’Atelier has a range of “Just 3 Ingredients” bars, which are made with only three essential ingredients: cocoa mass, sugar, and cocoa butter.
Munch
Nestle Munch is a chocolate bar that is primarily sold in India. It was first introduced by Nestle in India in 1999, and it quickly became a popular treat with consumers.
Nestle Munch is made of a long chocolate bar that is filled with wafers. The brand also has a range of variants, including Munch Nuts, which includes groundnuts with wafers, and Munch Crunch O’Nuts, which includes peanuts.
Fun facts about Nestle Munch:
- Nestle Munch is one of the most popular chocolate bars in India, and it is known for its crispy and crunchy texture.
- In 2013, Nestle Munch launched a new advertising campaign featuring Bollywood actor and Nestle brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan.
- Nestle Munch is also available in other countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, where it is sold under the name “Munch Break” and “Munch” respectively.
- Nestle Munch has won several awards for its packaging design, including a Gold Award at the 2013 Pentawards, which recognizes excellence in packaging design.
- Nestle Munch is a popular ingredient in baking and can be used to make desserts such as Munch brownies and Munch cake.
Cui Cui Shark
Cui Cui Shark are chocolate wafers, which are only available in China. They are fairly similar to Kit Kat (even have the red style packaging), but have a slightly thicker layers of wafer and filling.
Nestle owned chocolate & confectionery brands
Many of these brands, such as Orion are only available in their local countries, but some might be also available online worldwide. Baci Perugina and Cailer brands are available worldwide and I’ve seen a very tempting Baci Perugina chocolate display last time I visited Selfridges in London.
- Baci Perugina
- Toll House – chocolate chip cookies & cookie dough
- Cailer
- Orion
- Garoto
Baci Perugina
Baci Perugina is an Italian chocolate brand that was founded in 1922 by Luisa Spagnoli in Perugia, Italy. Baci, which means “kisses” in Italian, is a chocolate candy that consists of a dark chocolate shell filled with gianduia (a sweet chocolate and hazelnut paste) and a whole hazelnut. Each chocolate is wrapped in silver and blue foil and comes with a love note in four languages.
According to legend, Luisa Spagnoli and one of the company’s founders were clandestine lovers who would exchange secret love notes to each other, hidden inside of chocolates. Somehow, their love affair was brought into the company’s branding that would take off across Italy with massive success.
Baci chocolate was introduced to the United States in 1939 and has since become a popular chocolate brand worldwide. Today, Baci Perugina is owned by Nestle and is still produced in Perugia, Italy.
Fun facts about Baci chocolate
- Each Baci chocolate comes with a love note in four languages: Italian, English, French, and German.
- The love notes inside Baci chocolates were originally written by Luisa Spagnoli herself.
- Baci chocolates were given to the winners of the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
- The Perugina chocolate factory in Perugia offers tours where visitors can see how Baci chocolates are made and even write their own love notes to put inside the chocolates.
Cailer
Cailer is Switzerland’s oldest chocolate brand established in 1819. Nestle uses only local sugar and milk to produce their Cailer chocolates. Cailer is one of the few chocolate brands that use condensed milk instead of milk powder. This is quite unusual, as normally chocolate doesn’t absorbs water very well, but in this case Cailer managed to produce a deliciously smooth chocolate because of that.
Toll House
Nestle Toll House is an American brand of baking products, including chocolate chips, cookie dough, and baking mixes. The brand was first introduced in 1939 by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who owned the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. Ruth Wakefield is credited with inventing the chocolate chip cookie, which she created by chopping up a Nestle chocolate bar and adding the pieces to her cookie dough mixture.
The Toll House Inn became a popular destination for travelers and locals alike, and the chocolate chip cookie became a beloved American treat. In 1939, Nestle and Ruth Wakefield struck a deal that allowed Nestle to print the Toll House Cookie recipe on their chocolate bar packaging in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Over the years, Nestle Toll House has expanded its product offerings to include a wide range of baking products, including cookie dough, brownie mixes, and more. Today, Nestle Toll House is owned by Nestle and is still a popular brand of baking products in the United States.
Fun facts about Nestle Toll House
- The original Toll House Inn burned down in 1984 and was rebuilt as a museum dedicated to the history of the chocolate chip cookie.
- The Toll House Cookie recipe is still printed on the back of Nestle chocolate chip bags today.
- In 2019, Nestle Toll House celebrated the 80th anniversary of the invention of the chocolate chip cookie with a giant chocolate chip cookie weighing over 5,000 pounds.
- Nestle Toll House has a line of edible cookie dough products that can be eaten raw or baked into cookies.
- Nestle Toll House has a program called “Bake Some Good” that encourages people to bake and share baked goods with their communities.
Orion
Orion was founded in 1896 by the Marsner family in Prague, Czech Republic. Their chocolate business becomed so successful that at one point they produced 1/3 of the total chocolate production in the country. The Orion was acquired by Nestle in 1991.
There are many different types of chocolates that Orion produces with Orion chocolate bar (mainly milk chocolate with different flavours), The Student’s Seal (milk chocolate with dry fruit, sweets and nuts) and Atelier (dark artisan style chocolate bar).
There are also smaller snack bars, such as Lentilky (Smarties equivalent), Margot (coconut filling with milk chocolate), Chestnuts (soft chestnut filling with milk chocolate), Kofila (soft coffee filling), Bananas (banana filling in milk chocolate), Deli (soft nougat filling with milk chocolate), Koko (coconut filling with milk chocolate, similar to Bounty) and Soya Cuts (sweetened soya chunks).
When I was studying at Charles Universtity in Prague, I would always buy the ‘Studentska Pecet’ – The Student’s Seal’ because it kept me going whilst I was revising for my exams. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the amount of fruit and nuts have slightly decreased, but it’s still a great chocolate anyway!
Garoto
Garoto is a Brazil chocolate company founded in 1929 and it currently produces around 70 different types of chocolates, snack bars and other confectionery.
Hsu Fu Chi
Hsu Fu Chi was founded in 1992 in Dongguan, China and it’s a family-run company (now part of the Nestle group) producing a range of biscuits, chocolates, jellies, and traditional Chinese snacks such as Sashima or New Year Peanut Candy.
This blog post was originally written on 28 April 2023 and last updated on 28 April 2023
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