Frigyes Stühmer, a master-pâtissier originally from Hamburg, was invited to Hungary by a chocolatier from Pest. An extraordinarily skilled craftsman with a great eye for detail, Stühmer launched a range of quality chocolates from his small patisserie in 1868, and he soon became the pre-eminent chocolate-maker in Hungary. With steadily improving living standards, he recognised that chocolate and confectionery have a bright future ahead of them, and as such, he played a major role in popularising chocolate – considered a luxury product at the time – and bringing it to a wider audience.  

      In 1906, his son took over as head of the factory and began to modernise the factory, before later founding the Frigyes Stühmer Joint Stock Company.  

      In 1941, the company built a chocolate factory in Budapest, which was considered state-of-the-art by European standards. This was followed by the opening of 63 shops in Hungary, as well as one shop in Paris and one in Opatija (Croatia). Stühmer chocolates became renowned not only for their outstanding quality but also for their attractive design. The company worked hand-in-hand with the packaging industry, which was at the cutting-edge of the latest developments during the 1920s and ’30s, while product illustrations and design were done by leading industrial artists of the time.  

      This success story came to an abrupt end in 1948, when the company was brought under state control. The factory was merged into the Hungarian Confectionery Industry Company, and its name was subsequently changed to Budapest Chocolate Factory.  

      Eventually, the traditional brand was brought back to life in 2006 by Mr. Péter Csóll, who purchased the existing Stühmer shop in Eger and acquired the trademark. The initial focus of Stühmer Ltd was to create products that would be familiar to previous customers of this household name. By now, the starting portfolio of four product families grew into a wide and varied range of over 150 different products, and our company has become one of the leading regional brands in quality chocolate manufacturing. 

 

      While to this day we retain some ‘nostalgia products’ still made using the original recipes; the majority of our current assortment was conceived by our expert product development team, created to fit in with the latest trends and consumer tastes. 

      The expansion of our product range, coupled with the rapid increase in production volumes, necessitated a move from the original small-scale site into a custom-built production plant on the outskirts of Maklár, thus beginning a new chapter in the story of Stühmer Ltd. on the 2nd of July, 2014.  

      The new 4,000 m2 unit is equipped with the latest machinery and operates under the highest quality standards (IFS). The new location also includes warehouse capacity for 2,100 pallets, suitable for storing cooled and frozen finished products under controlled conditions, providing our partners with complete peace of mind. Whilst through rigorous laboratory analysis, our Quality Control Division guarantees compliance at every stage of the production process.  

      We operate seven shops across Hungary, located in the city centres of Eger, Budapest and Gyöngyös. While our flagship store, which also includes a patisserie and an ice cream parlour, is located next to our production facilities in Maklár, alongside our company headquarter. 

      Supported by overwhelmingly positive customer feedback, we have been making our artisan ice cream since 2015. 

      In 2020, we have launched three new product families with bespoke packaging designed especially for international markets. 

 

      The Stühmer name stands for premium quality confectionary presented in stylish packaging. Behind every product, there is over a century of tradition, expert craftsmanship and an incessant pursuit of excellence. Stühmer: “Quality first and foremost”.