In 1875, Mr. Pertuiset inaugurated his chocolaterie at 2, rue du Rhône. A man of taste, he quickly forged a reputation for his establishment and soon the upper echelons of the belle époque were flocking to his door. This was the age of horse-drawn carriages, and gourmet horses were known to block the Rue du Rhône until they were given their praline. In 1933, the flourishing chocolaterie passed into the hands of new experienced owners. By 1967, DU RHÔNE’s irresistible little treats had conquered the world. Meanwhile, deep in the laboratory, the master chocolatiers were driven more than ever to preserve their authenticity. In 1976, the establishment moved to Rue de la Confédération.
Beyond fashion, on the fringes of market standardisation, the great tradition in chocolate bears one name, DU RHÔNE. A name found in the most prestigious guidebooks such as California’s Goldbook or Gault & Millau, which has awarded their prizes for our Moccas Glacés. It may be due to the subtle care we take in preparation, right up to the finishing touches. No effort is spared in the quest for perfection. The ingredients are selected meticulously, as shown by our refusal to incorporate chemical additives and preservatives in our chocolates.
DU RHÔNE has become a prized destination for famous people from all over the world. You shall also certainly experience the same exquisite taste sensations as General de Gaulle, Grace Kelly, Yul Brynner, Winston Churchill, the Shah of Iran, Dwight Eisenhower, Fernand Raynaud, J.F. Kennedy, Michel Simon, Maurice Chevalier, Colette…
Master chocolatier Mr. Jean-Pascal Sérignat and his team offer a blend of passion, excellence, skill and creativity that surprise the palate. Our chocolates are hand made in the traditional way to ensure that each one gives its own special moment of pleasure. Always seeking out new flavours, our chocolatiers meticulously select the very best ingredients to obtain chocolates of the highest quality. These ingredients are combined with scrupulous care to infuse the essential qualities of each flavour.
In 2014, Federico Marangoni was named CEO and in 2015 he became the sole shareholder instilling a new vision and strategy while keeping up with the long tradition.
2015 and 2016 were marked by the opening of numerous Du Rhône Chocolatier stores throughout the world, from Dubai to Shanghai, Riyadh, Taipei, New York, London, Hamburg and Berlin. Every chocolate sold in the stores has been carefully produced in the Geneva laboratory and is then shipped to its destination by a dedicated team.
Chocolate intelligence
In September 2016 IBM has selected Du Rhone Chocolatier to test its famous Chef Watson programme offering recipes designed by artificial intelligence.
During the annual Sibos exhibition, the biggest financial fair in the world, IBM selected Du Rhone Chocolatier to create chocolates for their numerous visitors. Jean-Pascal Serignat, Master Chocolatier devised 3 chocolates on the basis of flavours imposed by the programme: the Moricoco a blend of lime pulp, ginger, rum and grated and grilled coconut; the Original combining fennel, fresh coriander and whole-grain mustard and the Barbade, a creation that subtly combines strawberry pulp, fresh basil, Modena balsamic vinegar and Sichuan pepper.
Awards
Du Rhône Chocolatier is no stranger to prizes and honours.
Coline, 1st prize Prix de Genève, Salon International du Chocolat
In 2011, the Coline, a dark ganache with 70% cocoa beans from Brazil and Papua New Guinea won the prize of the International Chocolate Fair of Geneva. Its intense taste reveals the flagrances of these foreign countries.
Mocca Glacé, Winner of the Gault & Millau Price
The Mocca glacé, winner of the Gault & Millau Price is our best kept secret from more than a century.
When did you first hear about Rhone Chocolatier?
I’ve known this chocolate factory forever. It is an icon in Geneva.
When did you take over the management?
I was lucky to take over the management in the summer of 2014.
How did you get this idea?
On every trip I took abroad, friends would always ask me to bring them some Swiss chocolate. I noticed then that Swiss know-how in the field of handcrafted chocolate had not been exported and only a few industrial brands were available. I wanted to rectify this and help to export our chocolate.
2016 was a significant year for Du Rhône Chocolatier; you opened numerous outlets around the world. Where are they situated?
We had already started in 2015 with the opening of Riyadh, Taiwan and London (Harrods) outlets. In 2016, we set up in New York, Berlin, Hamburg, Taipei, Shanghai and Dubai.
How are these outlets supplied?
All the chocolates are made in Geneva in our laboratory on Rue de la Confederation and then sent throughout the world thanks to my formidable team.
All images© Du Rhône Chocolatier
Rue de la Confédération 3
1211 Geneva
+41 (0) 22 311 56 14