Zotter Chocolate (doc) – the company, the philosophy, trends, history and facts at a glance.
You will find all our indulgent chocolate miracles and delicious new products with themes ranging from St. Nick’s to New Year’s in our latest Christmas catalogue.
There are 23 new hand-scooped chocolate creations, including some with fabulous raspberry caramel and orange caramel. A colourful, purple Ube drinking chocolate, which is the Instagram-worthy trendy drink of the moment, and a new Labooko 75% Opus – a top-quality cuvée made with cacao from indigenous cacao farmers who cultivate their crops in the rainforest. Bean-to-bar transformed into an exceptional dark chocolate. A top tip: Josef Zotter has captured his wealth of experience from 50 years in the trade in the new NOBLE & TENDER product range. Pure indulgence, available in four varieties. And much more...
You can find the entire Easter range in the latest catalogue, alongside sweet Mother’s and Father’s Day surprises as well as fruity chocolate tips and tricks for spring. We are proud to present some new and innovative flavours: »Raspberry Caramel« and »Passion Fruit Caramel«.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW
Have a look inside the latest Easter & Spring Catalogue 2026 (PDF).
Chocolate, a sweet declaration of love. We've curated a seductive selection of filled chocolates with love messages, decorated chocolate hearts, rose petal chocolates and more, which will let your lovestruck heart beat a little faster. Chocolates are the most delicious declaration of love.
Have a look inside the new Valentine's Day catalogue 2026 (PDF).
Bonn, 9. November 2019, Villa Hammerschmidt
The 2019 Walter Scheel Medal has been awarded to Josef Zotter.
Jury award justification: »Josef ZOTTER – Zotter Chocolate Manufactory, Riegersburg – has been awarded the 13th annual Walter Scheel Medal to honour his exceptional contribution to the development of our great European chocolate culture. Josef Zotter is a true paragon of a business owner: innovative, determined and persistent and at the same time modest and down-to-earth. He is one of the world’s best chocolate producers and shows that competence and top artisanal product quality are not synonymous with an elitist approach and that fairness and sustainability can be much more than just marketing speak. With his highly innovative product range, his “bean to bar” processes and exclusively organic and fair trade produce, Josef Zotter impressively demonstrates how successful ethical business practices can become in the 21st century. His creations, meanwhile, keep scoring top marks in international competitions.«
Every year since 2014, in accordance with the European spirit of unity, connection and integration, the Walter Scheel Medal for lifestyle and gastronomy has been given out for outstanding services to European cuisine and gastronomy. The honourees are usually two individuals who have made exceptional contributions in these areas and to our cultural heritage. The award was created under the patronage of H.E. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, former President of the Republic of France.
Josef Zotter is this year’s winner of the »European Candy Kettle Awards 2019«
The Candy Kettle Award is given for extraordinary quality, innovation and market performance.
Zotter among the Big Players
Since 1973, this award’s long and illustrious list of winners has featured the most important names in the European confectionary industry like Ferrero, Lindt & Sprüngli, Fazer, Katjes, Krupskaya, Valor, Colian and Valrhona. You can find a full list of winners as well as additional information on the award, club members and events at www.candykettleclub.eu
Josef Zotter is very happy about this industry award which echoes way beyond Austria’s borders: »It’s a particular honour to be nominated and chosen as a winner, and to receive this prestigious award from the hands of some very Big Players in the industry. This all has been made possible by having the best employees in the world as well as a wonderful family! I am humbled, moved and overjoyed to be counted among these prominent representatives.«
5. June 2018 – Zotter wins the most significant environmental award in the world and receives the "Energy Globe Austria 2018" award as overall winner. The Energy Globe Award is the most significant environmental award in the world. 2000 projects from 182 nations were submitted this year. During a nail-biting finale, Zotter prevailed as overall winner in Austria with the project "Umweltschutz als Erfolgskonzept" ("environmental protection as a design for success") and won the Energy Globe Austria 2018 Award.
Josef Zotter, nominated for the "World Entrepreneur of the Year 2016", the Business Oscar, represented Austria in Monte Carlo and managed to secure himself a place in the Hall of Fame with his own star on the sidewalk.
For six days, the best entrepreneurs from 49 countries demonstrated their skills to win the title of "World Entrepreneur of the Year 2016" in Monte Carlo. It was all about entrepreneurship, financial performance, strategy, global and communal impact of the company, innovative power and personality. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) was the main focus, as was the invitation to all corporations to increasingly dedicate themselves to social tasks.
The jury's decision was accompanied by a brilliant framework programme, including a gala dinner, a meeting with Prince Albert, lots of celebrities, a high density of Maseratis and Porsches and a big firework.
Josef and Ulrike Zotter accepted the renowned "EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame" trophy, while the Australian Manny Stul from Moose Enterprise Holdings & Controlled Entities won the race and the title.
Josef Zotter wins in the category of Trade & Consumer Goods and represents Austria at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016
On October 9th, 2015, the audit & consulting organisation EY gave out the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award for the tenth time in Austria. More than 300 guests from the worlds of business, politics and society accepted the invitation to the glamorous gala in the ballrooms of the Hofburg Vienna. Out of the nine finalists, Josef Zotter from the Zotter Chocolate Manufacture was chosen represent Austria at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, which will take place in June 2016 in Monte Carlo.
"Zotter is and will remain at the top of the world-best chocolate manufacturers and by far the most innovative chocolatier of all." (Chocolate – the reference standard 2015, p. 839)
The chocolate world is in motion, which is why the chocolate tester Georg Bernardini has once again published a colossal standard work (919 pages) about the international chocolate market. The test included 550 brands and 4,000 products from 70 countries (by comparison, in 2012, the test included 271 brands, 2,700 products and 38 countries).
Zotter ranks among the Top 25 - the best chocolatiers in the world
"Zotter: the placement among the Top 25 is so much matter of course as it is for only very few brands and companies, similar to Domori almost indisputable." (Chocolate – the reference standard 2015, p. 849)
The Top 25 are awarded 6 cocoa pods. 6 cocoa pods stand for "Extraordinary quality of all products. Extremely rare to no deviations in the outstanding quality of the products." (Chocolate – the reference standard 2015, p. 137)
Zotter is the only producer from Germany and Austria in the Top 25 and still the only one to produce solely in organic and fair-trade quality.
Reference: Georg Bernardini: "CHOCOLATE – THE REFERENCE STANDARD. The Chocolate Tester 2015. The best chocolates and pralines in the world. What’s behind it all and what we can gladly forego." 919 pages, www.thechocolatetester.com
