Marabou Chocolate

Marabou is an iconic Swedish chocolate brand that has defined the Scandinavian confectionery market since its inception in 1916. The brand was founded by the Norwegian chocolatier Johan Throne Holst as a Swedish expansion of his successful Norwegian brand, Freia. Because the name Freia was already trademarked in Sweden, the company chose the name Marabou, inspired by the marabou stork that featured on the original Freia logo. Commercial production began in 1919 in Sundbyberg after post-WWI cocoa shortages eased, and the brand later introduced its signature caramelized milk chocolate recipe in the 1950s, which remains a favorite today.

Ownership of the brand transitioned from the founding family to international hands in the early 1990s. In 1993, Kraft General Foods (now Kraft Foods) acquired Freia Marabou. Following a corporate split in 2012, the brand became part of Mondelēz International. While it is a global brand with a presence in IKEA stores worldwide, most of the core production continues to take place at the Mondelēz facility in Upplands Väsby, Sweden. Recently, the brand has faced public scrutiny in the Nordic region due to its parent company's continued operations in Russia, leading to its removal from the Swedish Royal Court's list of suppliers in 2024.