Ragusa and Torino are two well-known chocolate bars from Switzerland. Although, did you know the same company, Camille Bloch, makes them both? In the Bernese Jura, a new Visitor Center opened in October 2017, where you can learn more about this company, its history and the chocolate.

To test your knowledge about Camille Bloch and its famous chocolate bars, here are 10 quick facts:

1. First, the name Camille Bloch comes from the company’s founder.

Mr. Bloch first started his chocolate factory in Bern in 1929. Then, six years later, he moved his production site to an old paper mill in Courtelay, Switzerland, where it continues today.

2. Camille Bloch is a family-run business.

In its third generation, the current CEO, Daniel Bloch, is the grandson of the company’s founder, Camille Bloch.

3. Camille Bloch introduced the Ragusa chocolate bar in 1942. 

This rectangular bar has a praline filling with whole hazelnuts. This filling is then surrounded by a thin layer of chocolate. Created during World War II when the company faced shortages, the 50-gram bar maximized limited quantities of cacao beans. When Camille Bloch first introduced Ragusa, it cost 40 centimes. Today, the price of a Ragusa chocolate bar has risen to about Fr. 2.20.

4. In, 1950 Camille Bloch launched a new chocolate bar known as, Torino.

This chocolate bar has a gianduia filling, a sweet chocolate-hazelnut paste originated in Italy. Torino first launched Torino in 1948 as a filled chocolate tablet. Then, the company re-introduced it two years later with a new shape that has remained over time: the classic branche.

5. A new category of Ragusa was introduced in 2014: Ragusa Blond.

This product was inspired by a trip to Quebec. This trip was taken by Daniel Bloch, where he discovered blond chocolate. Ragusa Blond has a golden yellow color and light caramel flavor.

6. Camille Bloch currently manufactures the following products: 

• Ragusa: Classique, Noir and Blond
• Torino: Lait, Noir and Blond
• Liqueurs (liqueur-filled chocolate): Williams, Kirsch, Grappa, Cointreau and Cognac

7. You can find recipes for Ragusa and Torino on Camille Bloch’s website.

How about an Avocado-Ragusa Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing?

8. At Camille Bloch’s new Visitor Center, you can attend a chocolate-making workshop.

With your participation in one of these workshops at L’Atelier, you also receive free admission to the Discovery Center. 

9. At the Camille Bloch Visitor Center, you can purchase a personalized Ragusa.

More specifically, the chocolate bar gets engraved with a message of your choice. Therefore, it would make a nice gift idea for someone who’s a huge fan of this iconic Swiss candy bar.

10. Finally, the construction of Camille Bloch’s Visitor Center coincided with an expansion of its production facilities.

This expansion means the company now has the capacity to double its production from approximately 4,000 to 8,000 tons per year. As a result, it further ensures that Switzerland will never run out of its beloved Ragusa and Torino bars.

For more information:

• Chocolats Camille Bloch SA
• Chez Camille Bloch

Updated: May 10, 2022