Chocolat Kohler was a chocolate producer based in Lausanne, founded in 1830 by the Kohler brothers. It is currently a brand owned by Nestlé.
Kohler notably introduced hazelnut chocolate, which was perhaps the first combination chocolate bar.[1]
History
The Kohler chocolate factory was one of the first in Switzerland, shortly following that of Cailler. The first factory was created in 1830 by Charles-Amédée Kohler, and his brother Frédéric Kohler, sons of Amédée Kohler (1761-1833), a trader in colonial foodstuffs since 1793. In 1849, Charles-Amédée Kohler bought the municipal sawmill in the Sauvabelin forest where he moved the production of chocolate.[2] The newly built factory used the hydraulic power of the Flon river to allow the grinding of the cocoa beans. The installation of a steam engine would replace the hydraulic facility a few years later and allow a considerable development of the factory.[3]