The Ferrero Rocher is part of a long and varied history of the Ferrero company, started by Pietro Ferrero in 1946 in Alba, a small town in Italy. Dear old Pietro had no idea that his confectionery would end up being eaten by chocolate lovers all over the world, although if you believe the marketing blurb, that was his plan all along.
It was news to me that the Ferrero company is also behind such classics as Nutella spread, Tic Tacs and the Kinder chocolates! Really, that just makes me like them all the more. The Ferrero company is one of the largest confectionery companies in the world, and to this day remains a family business run by the Ferrero sons. Officially launched in 1982, Ferrero Rocher as a product is sold in over 100 countries around the globe – although it took until 1985 for Rocher to be distributed in the US.
A good look around the official Ferrero Rocher site brings up some fun facts – that the Ferrero company purchases approximately 25% of the world’s supply of hazelnuts, and that one weeks’ Rocher production would cover the area of 16 football fields.
