Perugina is an Italian chocolate confectionery company based in Perugia, Italy that was founded in 1907.[1][2] The company also operates a chocolate-making school at its factory in Perugia, which commenced in 2007.[3] Perugina was purchased by and became a division of the
Nestlé corporation in 1988.[1][2][4]
Merged in 1968 with the
family company of the same name to form the IBP-Industrie Buitoni Perugina group , it was involved in the crisis of the food sector of the
seventies from which it emerged in 1985 with the sale to
Carlo De Benedetti 's CIR group ; However, political maneuvers outside the group prevented the latter from consolidating its presence in the consumer food sector and, in 1988, IGP was sold to the Swiss multinational Nestlé which since 2008 has only held the Perugina brand, having sold Buitoni on that date .
Perugina's registered office has been in Milan since 1988 , but the production plants and the Chocolate School are located in Perugia.
History
The company was formed in 1907 by Francesco Buitoni, Annibale Spagnoli, Leone Ascoli and Francesco Andreani.[1][5] It was founded in the town of Perugia, which is located in the
Umbria region of central Italy.[1][5] A great deal in Perugina's success is attributed to Luisa Spagnoli, who created the chocolate brand Perugina and played the paramount role in the chocolate factory setup and further development.
The company was introduced to the United States at the
1939 World's Fair in New York City, and since became known for producing fine chocolates.[6] Perugina also opened a retail store on Fifth Avenue in New York City circa 1939.[7]
Products
The company produces a wide array of chocolate and food products, including chocolate bars, hard candy,
nougat, and
biscotti.[8] During Easter-time, a major product is chocolate
Easter eggs wrapped in colorful aluminium paper.[8]
In the late 1990s,
Alitalia painted one of its
Boeing 747s in a special Baci livery.
Perugina chocolate tin box (ca 1955)
Rossana Perugina Candy
A noted and well-known product is the Baci chocolate kisses filled with
hazelnut, wrapped in a multilingual love note, which was introduced in 1922.[2][8][9] These love notes are written in either Italian, English, French, German, Greek, Spanish, or Portuguese.[10]
1 Currently manufactured by
General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by
Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by
General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. 3 U.S. production rights owned by
The Hershey Company. 4 U.S. rights and production owned by the
Smarties Candy Company with a different product. 5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by
Associated British Foods. 6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by
Post Foods elsewhere. 8 Philippine production rights owned by
Alaska Milk Corporation. 9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by
Fraser and Neave. 10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. 11 Used only in the Philippines. 12 U.S. production rights owned by the
Ferrara Candy Company. 13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. 14 Brand owned by
Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. 15 Produced by
Froneri in the U.S. since 2020.