Which Chocolate Company Is Older, Cadbury Or Hershey's?
Chocolate is one of the most beloved sweets in the world and for good reason. It not only tastes great by itself but pairs excellently with fruit, cheese, and wine. It's also essential to countless dessert and snack recipes. Because of this, the demand for chocolate is definitely high, which is why so many different chocolate companies have popped up throughout the years, keeping our sweet tooth satisfied.
Arguably, two of the biggest chocolate companies in the world are Cadbury (currently owned by Mondelēz International) and Hershey's. Both are equally classic and well liked, but there's some confusion as to which is older. Cadbury ultimately takes the trophy here, with a start date of 1824. Hershey's didn't get its start until 1894. This makes Cadbury around 200 years old, but shockingly it still isn't the oldest chocolate company in the world. Not only are there older chocolate brands, but there's even a chocolate brand that's been around for nearly 300 years, surpassing Cadbury by almost an entire century.
The oldest chocolate companies in the world
In total, there are three major chocolate companies still in operation today that predate Cadbury. Working backwards, the first is Callier, a company from Switzerland that got its start around 1819. Not only does Callier predate Cadbury but it's also the oldest Swiss chocolate brand that still exists. Another major chocolate company that is older than Cadbury was founded in 1770. Xocolata Jolonch hails from a region in Spain known as Agramunt. This company is widely regarded as the oldest in all of Europe, which is quite an impressive feat given just how many European chocolate companies and brands there are.
However, the company that is widely regarded as the oldest came just a few years before Xocolata Jolonch. Tracing its roots back to 1764, Baker's Chocolate is the oldest chocolate company in the world. Shockingly, it is still in operation to this day and can be easily found in most grocery stores right alongside heavy hitters like Cadbury and Hershey's.