Droste Chocolate Retrospective

Almost everyone who knows anything about Dutch chocolate is familiar with Droste Pastilles. These small, round chocolates have been a Dutch icon since 1904, with a variety of flavours to suit any palate. It’s therefore incredibly sad that Droste Chocolate is going out of business after 162 years.

Gerardus Johannes (G.J.) Droste founded Droste Chocolates in 1863 in the beautiful city of Haarlem. They also sold different types of candy, but chocolate was the main focus. The attention to detail and high-quality ingredients soon made Droste a leader in the chocolate business. In 1890 the first factory was opened, in the same building as the retail store. In 1891 the whole operation was moved to the Spaarne river, making delivery of raw materials and shipping of finished products much easier and more efficient. 1986 saw Droste move to the current location in Vaassen.

In 1897 the sons of G.J. took over the business and expanded the product line to include numerous cocoa products, as well as the famous chocolate letters. In 1898 Droste officially received the right to bear the Dutch coat of arms on their products, which boosted sales even more.

By 1905 Droste was a world leader in chocolate manufacturing, earning a higher market share than several larger companies and exporting to many countries worldwide. The First World War led to serious difficulties as raw materials were virtually impossible to obtain. It took many years to recoup their losses, but by 1929 the company employed over 800 people. The stock market crash dealt Droste another major blow and once again led to layoffs and a reduction of production. World War 2 was also devastating with part of the factory being destroyed by bombs resulting in an eventual complete shutdown of production and sales.

Being stubborn Dutch, Droste persevered, despite the lack of raw materials. Again, after many years of rebuilding the company was able to manufacture and export their products worldwide and employed over 1000 people by 1960.

By now Droste Chocolate had changed ownership several times, and production became more automated and streamlined, although the attention to detail remained the same. In August 2024 Belgian company Pauwels Engineering was set to purchase Droste. For reasons that are unclear, that deal fell through. Droste was struggling with the after-effects of the covid pandemic, soaring cocoa prices, and rising energy costs. The decision to cease operations was not made lightly. About 35% of the workforce is over the age of 60, with many of them having worked for Droste for over 30 years.

Although no official statement has been released by Droste, nor any declaration of bankruptcy announced, the company is slated to close for good.

Droste chocolates will be missed. There are no other chocolates quite like them. Through many trials and tribulations, they always bounced back and gave us delicious treats. So, thank you Droste, for putting smiles on millions of peoples’ faces and for proving once again that Dutch people do amazing things!

We will miss Droste cocoa but there are still plenty of Dutch cocoa companies carrying on their work. If you still have some original Droste, try this recipe for classic Warme Chocolademelk, with or without alcohol.