Chocolats Rohr SA, Geneva

The history of Maison Rohr began on March 1, 1936 when young Hans Rohr bought from his boss a small shop on boulevard du pont-d'Arve in Carouge, serving tea and cakes. In a bid to ensure the ultimate freshness of their product and to avoid temptation of re-offering it the following day, each evening they brought all the unsold pastries to hospitals, asylums and the Salvation Army. The idea was, "You might as well feed the poor, rather than throw it away".

As the pastry shop grew successful, in 1950 Hans opened a branch in Geneva's Place du Molard and started to make chocolate alongside pastries. In 1952, inspired by further success, he took a radical turn and devoted himself fully to chocolate making, as it seemed more passionate than cupcakes and commercially more interesting. Eventually, the image of the chocolate maker Rohr replaced that of the pastry chef.

In 1968, his son Henri took over the business, switching focus towards dark chocolate above the habitual truffles. His first creation, the famous Poubelles de Genève (“Geneva dustbins”), hardly synonymous with a gourmet dream as such, was born out of a farce and sold rather well nonetheless. Eventually, he introduced Champagne marc truffles, pralines, Florins, Grand Marnier and other specialties.

The third generation of the Rohrs, Roger and Nicole, who have now taken over the reins of the family enterprise, perpetuate the tradition manifested in watchwords: beautiful, good, and chocolate in the highest art form. In keeping with the times, they have expanded the production range by adding, among other innovations, artisanal ice creams. The success of Maison Rohr doesn't seem to waver and today the company, member of the "Commerce et Qualité" association which brings together Geneva businesses reputed for quality, produces annually around 50 tonnes of handmade chocolate.

Given a chance, make sure to try the "Poubelles de Genève" and "Petits Calvins", which are the shop’s main specialties.