I have to confess, I’m much too busy, frantically tearing at the wrapping, to get to the goodies inside, to pay too much attention to the packaging, this was especially true in my tender years when a bar of chocolate was manna from heaven and a real treat. A bar of Toblerone was an extra special treat, seemingly exotic, it was a chocolate bar a class apart and only really for the grown ups. On my first attempt bite into one, I hurt the roof of my mouth and made my gums bleed, I had to learn a new technique to tackle a bar, somehow breaking the triangles off, one at a time, so I could fit them in my small, eager mouth, without injury, which made it seem even more sophisticated. I never noticed the Toblerone trademark and neither did the shape of the Toblerone raise any curiosity as to exactly why it was triangular in shape, it was just triangular because it was, I didn’t care, it tasted luvverly, that was good enough for me. 

Years later, here I am based in Zermatt, and in some neat, coincidental twist of symmetry I noticed that the Toblerone packaging carried a picture of the Matterhorn, the peak that put Zermatt on the map. In fact the Matterhorn forms part of the Toblerone logo, along with a hidden Brown Bear, standing on it’s hind legs, which is the symbol of Bern, the place of manufacture for this delicious treat. It’s commonly assumed that the Matterhorn inspired the shape of the Toblerone, which was launched to an appreciative world in 1908 by Theodor Tobler, who’s father, Jean Tobler was making the citizens of Bern very happy with his chocolate treats, manufactured in his own confectionary shop, from as early as 1868. The demand for his products were so great that he founded his own factory in 1899, the Fabrique de Chocolat, Berne. 

Jean Tobler’s son, Theodor Tobler, along with his cousin, Emil Baumann, who incidentally is the great grandfather of Roger Federer, developed a unique milk chocolate, including nougat, almonds and honey and invented the triangular shape that made the brand instantly recognisable and distinct, it was a great success. Toblerone is a play on the names of Tobler and Torrone, the Italian word for honey and almond nougat. The place of origin is also picked out in the logo in a darker red to spell the name of Berne. The image of the Matterhorn is pretty ubiquitous round these parts, I never guessed it was on my favourite bar of choccy all along.