Kalev

Several generations of Estonians have grown up with Kalev’s excellent confectionery, which is associated with many sweet nostalgic memories for many. Kalev’s legendary chocolates and candies have been part of various holidays and family events for decades, decorating holiday tables. On the other hand, continuous product development has helped to surprise sweet lovers with more and more exciting taste experiences. Therefore, it is no wonder that Kalev is still the most beloved among both international brands and domestic brands among Estonians. Kalev has remained at the top of the brand ranking throughout all the years that Kantar Emor has conducted a similar methodology-based survey, i.e. since 2009. The confectioner Lorenz Caviezel lays the foundation for the Estonian confectionery industry by opening his confectionery store on Pikk Street, Tallinn, where Café Maiasmokk is now situated. This will become the oldest predecessor of today’s Kalev confectionery factory. The confectionery store changed hands many times, until Georg Stude Senior buys it in 1864 and greatly expands it. Marzipan figurines and handmade chocolate confectionery were the most sought-after items in Stude’s store. The Russian Imperial Court was among the clients who ordered sweets from Stude on a regular basis. Unique marzipan figurines are made at Café Maiasmokk to this day, using historical marzipan moulds and methods. The chocolate and confectionery factory Kawe, AS Kalev’s best-known predecessor, is founded. The product range of Kawe, the largest confectionery company in Estonia at the time, was well known locally and abroad. The company exported a considerable amount of its products to various countries, the US, UK, Tunisia, Morocco, France, India, China and elsewhere. Other large confectionery companies of the time included Ginovker (est. 1906), Brandmann (1901) and Klausson (1920). In the late 1930s, more than 75% of all of employees in the Estonian confectionery industry worked in these companies and Kawe. Several smaller companies such as Riola, Endla, Eelis, Efekt and others provided competition to the large manufacturers. The beginning of nationalisation and merging of confectionery companies. Brandmann’s company was merged with the Riola factory, and the new name of the company became the Karamell confectionery factory. Later, the marzipan and chocolate confectionery department at Georg Stude’s company joined Karamell. At this time, cakes and pastries were still made in the building on Pikk Street, which is today known as Café Maiasmokk. The Efekt, Eelis, Endla and Soliid factories were soon merged with Kawe, as was the Ermos syrup production facility located in Kloodi Manor near Rakvere. The merged company continued operating under the name of Kawe. On 1 April, Kawe was renamed the Kalev Confectionery Factory. The name change took place due to ideological reasons; someone complained to the Minister that Kawe’s name had been formed using the initials of its former owners. This was not acceptable for a Soviet company. A naming competition was quickly organised and saw two proposals – “Punane Kompu” (“Red Sweet”), which was ideologically acceptable at the time, and “Kalev”, taken from the Estonian national epic. The name “Kalev” won by a single vote. The new confectionery company Uus Kalev is completed at Pärnu maantee 139, Tallinn. A year later, the Karamell factory is merged with it. The merger of confectionery companies is completed. Uus Kalev and Kalev are joined, and the company name becomes Kalev Confectionery Company. Only one confectionery manufacturer now exists in Estonia and it is located at Pärnu mnt 139. Throughout the entire Soviet period, Kalev manufactured sweets for Estonia, as well as for almost all of what is now the former Soviet Union, and it also supplied the “uncrowned rulers” of the Kremlin. Kalev’s confectionery also became renowned outside of the Soviet Union, winning awards and prizes at several international tr