Germany: A Chocolatey Success Story – Chocoversum Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On 3 December 2011, the CHOVOVERSUM by HACHEZ (Chocoversum) opened its doors to visitors in Hamburg fort he very first time – today, ten years later, the chocolate experience world celebrates a successful decade as one of Hamburg’s most popular visitor attractions (read our report in EAP 1/2019). During a 90-minute-long guided tour through the Chocoversum, which has been starting at a 1.43 -metre-high chocolate fountain since 2016, guests find out interesting details and facts about the production of chocolate. Part of the tour are different theme areas such as the rainforest, the Harbour of Hamburg and the chocolate factory featuring tasting stations and historical production machines. “We load the phrase ‘chocolate makes happy‘ with content and emotion. Here, the visitor is not purchasing a ticket to a museum but 90 minutes of fun and indulgence. Therefore, the experience character is very important,“ explains Stephanie Schaub, Magaing Director of Chocoversum.

The idea for the Chocoversum is based on the Bremen-headquartered chocolate manufacturer Hachez, who is not allowed to offer guided tours through the production site due to hygiene reasons. “In my former position as managing director of Bremen-located Hachez Chocolade GmbH & Co. KG, I followed the wish to make the myths of chocolate accessible with every sense to a diverse audience,“ comments Wolf Kropp-Büttner, Managing Director of Hachez Chocoversum GmbH. Besides its on-site offerings in Hamburg, the Chocoversum developed digital chocolate tastings, during which attendees are able to experience tastes of diverse chocolate products during an online event. In its online shop the Chocoversum also offers a variety of extraordinary products such as cocoa pesto, chocolate beer or cocoa-infused BBQ sauces. During the past ten years, over 1.3 million guests have visited the Chocoversum in Hamburg, alone in 2019 the experience recorded 200,000 visitors. (eap)