Ritter Sport

Ritter Sport has been committed to creating premium confections for over a hundred years. Started in 1912 by Alfred E. Ritter and his wife Clara, the company is still run by the Ritter family today. Grandchildren Alfred O. Ritter and Marli Hoppe-Ritter are both heavily involved in the business, and Alfred O. Ritter is the current Chairman of the Advisory Board.

In 1912, Alfred E. Ritter, a German confectioner, wed Clara Göttle, a candy shop owner. From there, as partners in both business and life, the duo began creating high quality chocolate bars in Stuttgart, Germany. A mere seven years later, the company became so successful it moved to a larger shop and began producing three flavors: orange cream, raspberry cream, and rum cream. By 1930, companies in Germany facing tough times, and had to sink or swim due to the rocky economic and political climate. Ritter Sport, still producing high quality confections and trying to find its groove, chose to swim. The company moved to a larger factory in Waldenbuch, where it remains today. At Waldenbuch, Ritter Sport grew into the line of delicious and premium chocolates that are now known and loved around the world today.

Clara claims credit for the iconic square design of Ritter Sport bars. In 1932, she noticed that soccer fans would stop by, pick up a bar of chocolate before watching a game, and put the bar in their jacket pockets. These jackets, otherwise known as sport coats, did not have pockets equipped to carry chocolate bars without breaking them. Rather than completely redesign coats, Clara theorized that a square bar that weighed the same as a rectangular one would better stay intact in the pockets. She was right! Thus, the classic shape and namesake of Ritter Sport was born from the quintessential need to carry chocolate on the go.

After a halt of production during wartime, Ritter Sport was back to its full production of delicious chocolates by 1949. During the 1950s, Ritter Sport thrived as the German population acquired a taste for quality chocolates. At this time Ritter Sport produced six different square bars and another line that included pralines and brandy chocolates.

What started as a small family business had slowly become a large family business. Nevertheless, the family values remained in place, and Alfred E. Ritter’s son, Alfred O. Ritter took over the company in 1952. Tragedy nearly struck in 1964 with the little talked about, much felt, German chocolate recession. Once again, Ritter Sport was given the option to persevere or disappear. Ritter Sport very much persevered. Soon after the chocolate recession, Ritter Sport reached new heights.

 In 1970, a new yogurt chocolate was released, as well as the slogan “Quality. Chocolate. Squared.” Both took Germany by storm. In 1972, Ritter Sport controlled 10% of the market. Under Alfred O.’s leadership, the decision was made to give each line its own color. The timing was fortuitous: color televisions were becoming popular and were an important advertising vehicle. However, it is said that the company was not enthusiastic about this change. Alfred O. stated, “I’m not crazy about the idea either. But we’re going to do it anyway.” What seemed like an unpopular decision to the staff at its conception is now a symbol of the high-quality European chocolates that Ritter Sport produces.

Continually focusing on being unique, functional, and high quality, Ritter Sport unveiled the snap pack wrapper. Instead of unpeeling the wrapper like an average chocolate bar, the snap pack allows the lucky person who’s eating a Ritter Sport bar to simply snap the bar in half to easily access the chocolate. Even with the large growth of the company, Ritter Sport has always been committed to its roots as a family business. Thus, it seemed only natural when Alfred T. Ritter, the third Alfred Ritter and grandson of the original, became chairman of the advisory board in 1983. He and his sister, Marli Hoppe-Ritter, had been sitting on the board since 1978. Today, still run by the same family, Ritter Sport is still producing quality chocolates in Waldenbuch, Germany. The site includes the factory as well as an art museum, a children’s workshop, and a large chocolate shop. Euro-American Brands has been Ritter Sport’s exclusive importer since 1990.

Today, Ritter Sport offers a wide variety of premium and natural chocolate. With a line of colorful bars, as well as a premium nut selection, there’s definitely an option for everyone. Further, Ritter Sport recently introduced the cocoa selection bars, which offer premium chocolate made from single-origin cocoa.

Ritter Sport prides itself on using eleven different chocolate recipes to ensure that each delectable chocolate bar has the right texture and taste for its variety. Each line is made with the best ingredients possible. With cocoa being sourced from Nicaragua, countries in Africa, and Papa New Guinea, Ritter Sport is committed to bringing the finest ingredients to the chocolate factory in Waldenbuch, Germany. Cocoa is not the only ingredient that is given attention. All real fruit and nuts are used in production, with both being sourced from the best locations in the world.

These all-natural and high-quality ingredients are integral in creating the iconic square bar. The square has proven to be the ideal way to deliver such high quality and yummy chocolate—the shape allows for a thicker bite and more fillings! Most notably, the full hazelnut bar is able to feature full nuts suspended in the chocolate. What’s even more impressive about the ingredients in the premium chocolate is that no ingredients have been genetically modified. In an age where more and more plants are being modified and adjusted, Ritter Sport still sources from natural and sustainable farms.

Sustainability has been a long-standing part of Ritter Sport’s corporate philosophy. The Ritter Sport factory boasts its own power station which provides 70% of the energy needed for production and business in Waldenbuch, Germany. Since 2002, the company has operated using entirely green energy. The sustainability management has been certified according to the ZNU standard, a German standard for sustainability. In an effort to create a more sustainable experience, Ritter Sport has switched its wrappers to recyclable film. The switch to environmentally friendly packaged chocolate has reduced the amount of material used to package the bars by the same volume as ten blue whales! Ritter Sport’s commitment to sustainability is not exclusive to only the materials either.

Understanding that nearly all cocoa production happens in developing nations, Ritter Sport started a funding Cacaonica in Nicaragua in 1990. This effort is to create farming practices that do not contribute to the erosion and deforestation of the rain forest. In 2012, Ritter Sport purchased 2,500 hectares of land in eastern Nicaragua, making it one of the largest cocoa plantations in the world. This farm allows farmers from the region to come and dry their cocoa and sell it to Ritter Sport for a price higher than the global market price. This change has not only improved the chocolate produced, but also lifestyle for the people of the region.

Ritter Sport is constantly looking for new ways to make sure that the chocolate is produced with the best and most natural ingredients while keeping environmental impact to a minimum. This stance is possible due to Ritter Sport’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and family values.