The company's history

Learn about the extraordinary history of the Wedel family. Taste the sweet history of the original Wedel chocolate and let yourself be taken on an unforgettable journey back to the mid-19th century.

E. Wedel is a legend. A brand associated with chocolate of exceptional quality and a pleasure to taste. Its history dates back to 1851 and is inextricably linked with the three Wedel generations that built one of the most powerful Polish companies.

1851

KAROL WEDEL OPENS A CONFECTIONER’S SHOP AND A CRAFT WORKSHOP AT MIODOWA STREET IN WARSAW

In the tasteful interiors at Miodowa Street, Karol Wedel, accompanied by his wife, Karolina, served drinking chocolate. In addition to the sweet delicacies, ”Cukiernia E.Wedel” (E. Wedel Confectioner’s Shop) offered also health products: malt syrup, cough caramels and peppermint pastilles.

Wedel’s delicacies were highly popular among the local people, who visited the shop in crowds, willing to taste the interesting and sophisticated flavour compositions not yet known to them.

1872

KAROL WEDEL GIVES HIS SON EMIL A CHOCOLATE FACTORY AS A WEDDING GIFT

Having already gained appropriate skills under the watchful eye of his father and after having practiced in the confectionery art in Paris for two years, Emil took control over the company in 1865.

Immediately after receiving the company as a wedding gift, Emil moved the factory to a tenement at Szpitalna Street in Warsaw, where a brand shop and an E.Wedel Chocolate Café ”Staroświecki Sklep” (Old-fashioned Shop) are located to this day.

1874

EMIL WEDEL PERSONALLY PUTS HIS SIGNATURE ON EACH BAR OF CHOCOLATE

Wedel’s chocolate was so popular that fakes began to appear quickly. In order to eliminate them from the market, Emil decided to affix a handwritten signature to each bar of chocolate.

With the passing of time, the E.Wedel signature became the identification of the brand and grew into its history so strongly that it successfully operates to this day, only in a slightly modified form.

1919
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1923

WOMEN'S EMANCIPATION IN E.WEDEL FACTORY

Respect for women, their work and skills is permanently inscribed in E. Wedel's organizational culture. This direction dates back to 1919, when in the difficult period after Poland regained independence, the chocolate enterprise was efficiently and vigorously managed by Emil's widow - Eugenia Wedlowa. Although women started working in the company a bit later, in 1925, their skills and ideas quickly turned out to be of great value for the entire organization.

1923

JAN WEDEL TAKES OVER THE FACTORY AFTER HIS FATHER, EMIL

Emil, similarly as previously his father, Karol, also educated his son, Jan, so that one day he could take over the family heritage. Until 1919, the company is jointly managed by a father and son.

Finally, Jan took over the heritage in 1923, when both of his parents were already dead.

In 1932, the company ”Emil Wedel i Syn” (Emil Wedel and Son) transformed into ”Fabryka Czekolady E.Wedel, Spółka Akcyjna” (E.Wedel Chocolate Factory).

1926

THE E.WEDEL TRADEMARK IS ESTABLISHED - A BOY ON A ZEBRA

In 1926, at the request of Jan Wedel, one of the most popular advertising graphics in Poland was created - the silhouette of a boy riding a striped zebra, carrying bars of chocolate. The creator of the creation was the Italian painter and caricaturist Leonetto Cappiello, called the father of modern poster and advertising art. To this day, a neon sign with a boy on a zebra can be found on the roof of the oldest “Pijalni Czekolady E.Wedel” (E. Wedel Chocolate Lounges) at Szpitalna Street in Warsaw.

Jan also implements new order and employs ... women, which leads to a fivefold increase in employment in the factory. Employees are covered by a special social system, among other things, they are provided with in-house dental care, a nursery and kindergarten for children and the possibility of going to the company holiday camp.

1931-1939

THE GOLDEN AGE OF E.WEDEL CHOCOLATE FACTORY

THE GOLDEN AGE OF E.WEDEL CHOCOLATE FACTORY

In 1931, Jan Wedel moved the factory to Zamoyski Street in Warsaw.

Construction of the new factory stirred many emotions among the citizens of Warsaw. For Jan, however, the changes were necessary — he imported the most up-to-date machinery for the manufacture of hard and aerated chocolate as well as the first equipment for wrapping caramels in shiny wrappings in Poland. The factory operates at Zamoyski Street in Warsaw to this date.

Jan Wedel modernised the logistics department and cars with the inscription ”E.Wedel” and a characteristic bar of chocolate appeared at the streets of Warsaw.

In addition, the factory buys an RWD-13 plane, which transports E. Wedel products to the Polish coast and at the same time promotes the brand. E. Wedel also uses non-standard promotional media, for example by introducing the first vending machine in Poland at the entrance to Skaryszewski Park near the Factory, or buying contextual advertising in the press and giving interviews, where we read: "Wedel's chocolate is the perfect combination of sugar that strengthens the brain and nourishing cocoa".

1936

PRODUCTION OF PTASIE MLECZKO® FOAMS TAKES OFF

Jan Wedel, inspired by his travel around France, decided to begin the manufacture of milky marshmallows covered in original Wedel chocolate. This was an innovative product with a surprising taste, which quickly turned out a great success.

Ptasie MleczkoⓇ with its over 80-year history is still the flagship product of E. Wedel, adored by Poles and gourmets all over the world, winning numerous awards for unique taste and quality.

1939
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1944

CHOCOLATE FACTORY DURING WORLD WAR II

Although the factory operates during the occupation, confectionery is manufactured only for the needs of the German occupier. However, this turn of events does not prevent Jan Wedel from engaging in helping the poorest and offering them hot meals in the canteen of the Prague factory. During the September campaign in 1939 and the siege of Warsaw, Jan Wedel decides to open the warehouses of his plants and distribute food products among the inhabitants. Then he loses enormous fortune, but saves hundreds of people from hunger.

After the capitulation of the Warsaw Uprising, Jan is arrested and sent to a transit camp in Pruszków for civilians evacuated from Warsaw. The factory workers prudently wall up some of the factory's products, thus preventing the German troops from plundering them.

In September 1944, everything that the German troops could not loot was stolen by the Soviet army.

1949

ZAKŁADY PRZEMYSŁU CUKIERNICZEGO IM. 22 LIPCA D. E.WEDEL

Until 1949, the Chocolate Factory and E. Wedel brand stores in Warsaw, other Polish cities such as Łódź, Gdynia, Zakopane, Ciechocinek, and in the world - in Lviv, Vilnius and Paris, were owned by the Wedel family.

After the end of World War II, Jan Wedel worked at the factory as an advisor, but after a few months he was fired from it and was forbidden to enter its premises. Jan Wedel died in 1960. In 1949 the name of the factory changed to Zakłady Przemysłu Cukierniczego im. July 22 d. E. Wedel (22nd July Confectionery Industry Factory, prev. E.Wedel).

1991-2010

OWNERSHIP CHANGES

1989 was a year of transformation and long-awaited changes, and the beginning of the privatization of Polish enterprises. At first, Nestle expressed its interest in buying E. Wedel, but ultimately it was the American investor PepsiCo who took over the brand.

However, it soon turned out that this investment is not fully in line with PepsiCo's development strategy and the American company decided to divide and sell E. Wedel factories.

In 1999, the Syrena confectionery plant in Warsaw was sold to the Finnish Leaf, the chocolate factory to the British brand Cadbury Schweppes, and the biscuit factory in Płońsk to the French Danon.

2010

THE LOTTE GROUP - A NEW CHAPTER IN E. Wedel HISTORY

Since September 2010, E. Wedel has been part of the Japanese LOTTE Group - an international concern founded in 1948, initially specializing in the chewing gum sector, and now operating in various sectors: food, confectionery, tourism, chemical, and even construction and finance.

The company fully retains its traditional character and the values ​​developed by the founders. LOTTE Wedel wants to continue the work and achievements of the Wedel family and, like them, influence people with their activities in accordance with the mission "We are constantly changing to inspire joy in us and our clients". Thanks to this, E. Wedel is a unique combination of autonomy operating within the specificity of a given market, based on the best international practices.

2012

E.WEDEL BECOMES THE FIRST NATIONAL SPONSOR OF THE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP UEFA EURO 2012

In March 2012, E. Wedel became the first national sponsor of the UEFA European Football Championship EURO 2012.

All activities related to this prestigious sports event were aimed at bringing a smile to the faces of all who took part in it. E. Wedel accompanied all football fans, as well as all events related to UEFA EURO 2012.

Confectioners from Wedel created a chocolate sculpture depicting the National Stadium in Warsaw, for which they used 400 kg of chocolate, as well as chocolate replicas of cups.

2014

E.WEDEL BRAND PRODUCTS ARE GAINING NEW MARKETS

E. Wedel is consistently expanding its product offer, focusing also on expansion into foreign markets. All this so that consumers all over the world can find out about the taste of exceptional sweets.

Wedel's products can be found in over 60 countries, incl. in the United States and Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Bosnia, Greece, Kosovo, the Arab Emirates, Qatar, Mexico and Ukraine.

The company also presents its products at international food fairs. In recent years, it was possible to try Wedel products at the fairs: Anuga in Cologne, ISM in Cologne, Gulfood in Dubai, Alimentaria in Barcelona and FHA in Singapore.

TODAY

E. WEDEL TODAY

E. Wedel has been dynamically developing its activities in Poland and abroad for 170 years, offering iconic products such as Ptasie Mleczko®, Torcik Wedlowski, full and filled chocolates or Mieszanka Wedlowska. In addition to the well-known offer, it produces more and more delicious new products, incl. Czekotubka, a series of filled chocolates, bars and cookies or Karmellove chocolates - the first such full bars on the market and crispy Cookie chocolates, as well as limited editions of Ptasie Mleczko® foams.

The product offer also includes E. Wedel ice cream on a stick, in a mug, in a cone or in the form of the well-known Czekotubka. E. Wedel is also joy and pleasure, which we emphasize not only in our campaigns, but also in everything we do. It is thanks to this that we are distinguished by the atmosphere at work, resulting from the faith in cooperation between departments and great pride in our brand and the history we represent.