History of Menier
1816
MENIER was founded by Jean Antoine Brutus MENIER in 1816. MENIER was initially a pharmaceutical company based in Paris. Chocolate was used initially by him as a medicinal ingredient and covering for bitter- tasting pills.
1825
MENIER built a factory in Noisiel in 1825 to accommodate an expansion in the company which in 1830 became the first mass production factory for cocoa powder in France.
1836
MENIER then became the first company to introduce blocks of chocolate in 1836 which were wrapped in a yellow paper. MENIER was an entrepreneur and innovator, pioneering the conching process that enabled the mass production of premium chocolate.
1853
After an expansion at the factory in Noisiel, by 1853 MENIER was producing over 4,000 tonnes of chocolate a year.
1870
A factory in London was purchased which became known as the MENIER Chocolate factory as well as a site in New York.
1872
Further expansion at the Noisiel Factory saw the construction of the most modern production facilities in the world
1874
Owing to increased production, now up to 125,000 tonnes annually, more workers were needed in the factory and were needed to be sought from other towns and cities. MENIER built, on 30 hectares of land near to the factory, 312 houses for their workers and a school for the workers children to attend. The town hall was also built and a MENIER family member would be a mayor ever year up until 1959.
1878
In 1878 MENIER won 7 gold medals in the World’s Fair in Paris for excellence of their products and the way in which they looked after the welfare of their employees.
1891
The factory in New York was constructed in 1891 on West Broadway and Leonard Street.
1892
Firmin Buisset in 1892 created a poster that would leave its mark on the history of advertising.
1893
At the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago they were billed as the leading chocolate makers in the world.
1900
The MENIER establishments are rewarded during the universal exhibition of 1900 and obtain a gold medal.
1902
The city of Noisiel is complete. This though is only enough to house 60% of the personnel and so they go on to build a small city in Champs – sur- Marne.
1914
In 1914 there are 2,400 factory workers and they are producing 6,000kg of chocolate a day.
1929
MENIER is the first company in 1929 to cover the roads and hour before the racers pass in the Tour De France with the distribution of paper hats and samples of their chocolate.
1930
In 1930 MENIER began selling the kiosk money boxes aimed at children for Christmas.
1959
The MENIER Family leave the management of the company in 1959 and also the city of Noisiel
1960
The First and Second World War in France took their toll on the production and work force and saw the company merge with Cacao Barry.
1965
By 1965 the MENIER family held no interest in the company.
1971
The MENIER factory in Noisiel was sold to Group Ufico-Perrier which became part of British confectioners Rowntree Mackintosh in 1971.
1988
In 1988 it was acquired by the Swiss food and drinks company Nestle.
1992
The factory in Noisiel was designated by the government of France as an official ‘Monument historique’
1996
In 1996 MENIER moved production to Broc in Switzerland where it remains today. The main building at the Noisiel Factory site was turned into Nestle France’s headquarters and other parts of the site have been turned into a chocolate museum, open to the general public.
2004
The derelict MENIER Chocolate Factory in Shoreditch, London reopened as a theatre with café, bar and art space and can be visited here
2014
The factory in Noisiel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site
2016
MENIER celebrated its 200th Anniversary Year