Italy - How a 130-year chocolate tradition conquered global markets

Since 1885, the Boella-Sorrisi family has been perfecting the art of Piedmontese chocolate. Today, Boella & Sorrisi Srl sends its gianduiotti, pralines, and other delicacies to Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, with 55% of its exports going outside the EU.  

The company’s recipe for success? A legacy of quality, Piedmont’s finest hazelnuts, and the power of EU trade agreements. 

Why the world fell for Italian chocolate 

Exporting was a natural part of Borella & Sorrisi’s growth, because Italian chocolate and traditional products such as panettone are well known and appreciated around the world. Switzerland, with its discerning chocolate lovers, soon became one of the company’s most important markets outside the EU. Over time, customers in the UK, Japan, and US followed, drawn by authentic Italian craftmanship. But expansion brought challenges. 

Bittersweet challenges 

Every country outside the EU has different food rules. When exporting, Boella & Sorrisi needs to manage different requirements for labels, ingredients, nutritional information, customs documents, packaging, and sometimes even the products themselves.  

For example, Japan has specific requirements for food labels and nutritional information. After Brexit, the UK also became more complex from an administrative perspective, with new customs and paperwork. Compliance requires a lot of time and specific knowledge, which can be demanding for a small company. 

How EU trade deals make exporting sweeter 

For the small Italian chocolatier, EU trade agreements are a gamechanger, because they can make it easier and less expensive to enter international markets. 

For a company like ours, every cent saved helps, so lower tariffs are certainly important, but clear rules, simpler procedures and reliable information are just as important. Knowing exactly what’s needed and avoiding surprises are key to our success. EU trade deals create a level of predictability that we need to be able to enter new markets with confidence. With reliable rules, we can take calculated risks.

Elena Boella, 
CEO, Boella & Sorrisi 

Sweet rewards of exporting – and the outlook for the future 

Exporting has helped the company scale up, develop new skills and become more organised. It has also helped increase the brand’s visibility, bringing the tradition of Piedmontese chocolate and Italian panettone to international markets. 

Boella & Sorrisi aims to strengthen its presence in its existing markets such as Japan and the US and continue to grow steadily there. The goal isn’t rapid expansion, but sustainable success, staying true to its quality and identity. 

Boella & Sorrisi has proven that even a small, traditional business can thrive worldwide by combining quality and smart exporting. Building the business on Piedmont hazelnuts, century-old recipes, local expertise, and leveraging EU trade deals has been the company’s recipe for success. 

Key facts 

• Founded: 2014, continuing a family tradition in confectionery that started in 1885 
• Headquarters: Turin, Piedmont, Italy 
• Employees: 25 
• Annual turnover: around €5 million 
• Share of exports outside the EU: 55%