Philippe Suchard

Philippe Suchard ( born October 9, 1797 in Boudry ( canton of Neuchâtel ), † January 14, 1884 in Neuchâtel ) was a Swiss chocolate producer and entrepreneur.

Life

In September 1814, he began in the Bernese Confiserie his brother Frédéric an apprenticeship as a confectioner and fulfilled in May 1824 a big dream by he went on a trip to America.

The Swiss watch and embroidery, which were in his hand luggage should let him become a successful businessman. But he could not sell his goods with the desired success.

On his return to Switzerland, he opened in 1825 in the town of Neuchâtel his first confectionery / chocolate. Already in 1826 the production moved into the vacant mill Neuchâtel suburb Serrières. Philippe Suchard invented the Mélangeur - a machine for mixing of sugar and cocoa powder, as it is still used today.

Inspired by a trip to the Orient in 1865 Suchard left his house by the architect Louis -Daniel Perrier decorate with a minaret. In 1880 he opened his first factory abroad, in the Lörrach, Germany. At the end of the 19th century Suchard was the largest chocolate manufacturer in the world.

Suchard was a member of the Confederation of the Freemasons, his Loge La Bonne harmony is headquartered in Neuchatel.

Today, the Suchard chocolate factory belongs to Kraft Foods and no longer produced in Neuchâtel.