Chocolaterie Guylian, world famous for its Belgian chocolate sea shells, is carrying out a thorough modernisation, alongside promoting its ambition to be sustainability leader in the chocolate industry.

 

Sold across four continents and in 120 countries, Guylian – the world-famous chocolate with hazelnut praliné brand – now comes in new packaging and with an upgraded recipe with traditionally roasted hazelnuts. 

Alongside getting a new brand identity and design, Guylian is also taking its responsibility regarding sustainability seriously, having taken a pioneering stance that includes recyclable packaging, a 100-per-cent CO2-neutral production site, 100-per-cent Fairtrade chocolate and completely palm-oil-free recipe.  

Design and brand shake-up

 

After almost 60 years of conquering the world, the Guylian brand is in need of a metamorphosis, in more ways than one, according to the firm’s CEO, Tom Snick: “By changing our design and brand, we also want to introduce a broader target group to the unrivalled taste of our premium Belgian chocolate,” he told us. "The packaging will have a more contemporary and fresh design, while retaining the luxurious look."  

 

From relaunch, Guylian will offer a selected, limited, curated range, which will be available all year round. The focus is on the seashells and seahorses, as well as on the 'Temptations' (individually wrapped seahorses) and the firm’s range of 100g premium bars. 

In addition, Guylian will be launching themed packaging around the key gifting occasions of Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and Christmas. Finally, the packaging for the duty-free channel will also get a makeover. The new packaging will be available in store from April.

Pioneering in sustainability

As one of the most influential names in the Belgian chocolate industry, Sint-Niklaas-headquartered Guylian also recognises its responsibility to work towards a better planet for future generations. And that is why it puts sustainability high on the agenda, advised Mr Snick: "We want to set the tone for all chocolate brands with these developments,” he told Food & Beverage Networker. “Guylian consciously chooses a pioneering role by going completely for sustainability in terms of raw materials, packaging, CO2 emissions and Fairtrade." 

 

For example, Guylian commits to working 100-per-cent with Fairtrade cocoa. In offering its suppliers a guarantee of a fixed cocoa price and, in one fell swoop, the firm has become the largest global brand of Belgian Fairtrade chocolate. In addition, all new packaging has been designed to be fully recyclable. Guylian is also looking into ways of further reducing its use of paper and plastic. Since the start of this year, the production site in Sint-Niklaas is fully climate neutral. This means that CO2 emissions have been reduced to the lowest possible level and all other emissions are compensated. Finally, palm oil and soya are no longer used in the production process, in order to prevent deforestation.

 

Improved, less sweet taste 

The innovation at Guylian, which has led to both a new look and feel, and a much more sustainable approach, has also had an impact on the time-honoured recipe. The blending of dark, white and milk chocolate alongside the praliné filling is what makes Guylian's Sea Shells such a success. Guylian’s new recipe uses only the finest hazelnuts, which are roasted in their shells to give Guylian products an even more intense and irresistible taste. 

 

"All our hazelnuts are roasted in-house," explained Ludwig De Kesel, Master Chocolatier of Guylian. "We opt for the best quality hazelnuts of a minimum size. By roasting them in their shell, they give our praliné filling a strong and unique hazelnut flavour, which also tastes less sweet." 

 

Continuing growth 

With these innovations and sustainable plans, Guylian plans to further strengthen its growth. "Our strong brand awareness and iconic product have long been the strength of our brand," remarked Mr Snick in closing. "By giving it a modern twist, we want to appeal to a wider audience and become a brand loved by all. 

“Belgian chocolate is known in all corners of the world and appeals to all markets,” he continued. “At Guylian, we produce 800 million chocolates a year, and they travel all over the world. But with this modernisation of our brand, our unique chocolate and our strong commitment to sustainability, we want capitalise on our position as the world’s favourite Belgian chocolate.”

www.guylian.com