The Cologne factory for coffee substitutes with a drying plant was founded in 1894 by a group of eight shareholders headed by Čeněk Kříčka, who is also the author of the architectural design of the factory. Thanks to a loan of 50,000 gold coins, they started construction the same year. At the turn of 1894 and 1895, the drying plant began operation and a few months later the factory itself. From the beginning, the coffee products Zlatá hospodyňka and Žitovka were produced here.
The very good economic results and the continuous growth in demand required an expansion of production capacity. First, a factory was built in Prostejov (1900), then the Cologne factory was modernized (1907), followed by the construction of a new factory in Ljubljana (1909). For further expansion, Halič was chosen, where another factory was built (1910). In 1912, a merger with Buva and Berger took place. This made the company one of the largest Czech companies of its type.
In 1917-20, a modern factory was built in Písek and shortly afterwards, in 1922, the company participated in the establishment of a chocolate factory in Přelouč under the brand name Ego.
In 1921, part of the Cologne factory burned down.
In 1944 and 1945 the factory was damaged by air raids. It was always repaired and operations resumed.
At the end of the 1940s, the Cologne factory, like all private properties, was transferred to Kávoviny n.p., based in Pardubice. Soon after, in 1953, the plant was renamed Soja Kolín n.p. and subsequently equipped with the largest soya processing capacity in Central Europe. It focused mainly on processing soybeans into semi-finished products for human consumption, which were subsequently supplied to other production plants in Czechoslovakia.
In 1963, the Kolín plant was transferred to Čokoládovny n.p. and production was expanded to include confectionery semi-finished products such as marzipan masses, confectionery toppings, roasted kernels and others. An interesting product was also a feed mixture for bees under the name Sojapyl.
In the late 1970s, production was expanded to include the very popular instant drink Granko, which was based on Bensdorp's popular Benco cocoa drink. Subsequently, the production of the peanut spread Nugeta, which quickly became very popular, as did peanuts in sugar.
In the early 1980s, a new steel soybean silo with a capacity of XXX tons was built. At the same time, a new administration building was built.
In the 1990s, foreign investors Nestlé and Danone entered Čokoládovny. Production is restructured and concentrated in large plants. The smaller plants were gradually sold off, as was Soja Kolín, which became owned by Altis Kolín in the following year.
Altis Kolín focused mainly on the production of semi-finished soy products for Nestlé and other customers. It also included the production of products for Nestlé, such as the aforementioned Nugeta and other well-known soy-based products.
Intensive cooperation with the Beroun-based company Chocoland Beri, which was at the time the largest producer of seasonal chocolate, began in 2010. Production moved from Beroun to Kolín and in 2013 the two companies merged to form a new joint stock company Chocoland a.s.
At the end of 2021, they began intensive negotiations with Mocca, a company from Liberec, which expressed interest in production and a factory in Kolín. Unlike Mocca, Chocoland has the capacity and space to expand production. In addition, the product portfolios of both companies in the field of confectionery are complementary and thus strengthen their market position.
At the beginning of 2022, contracts were signed and the new story of Chocoland begins.
