Any sweet tooth in childhood dreamed of visiting a real chocolate factory to see how all the kids’s favorite treats are made. Today, everyone has the opportunity to go on such a journey. True, so far only virtual. In this article, we will dive into the study of the chocolate factory of Samara - it is a well-known producer "Russia". We’ll talk about how the company was created and developed and what products it manufactures today.
The history of the chocolate factory
In 1969, according to the project of the Italian bureau Carle & Montanari (which was very rare for the Soviet Union), the construction of a chocolate factory began in Samara, the name of which in the following years became well known in all corners of the Soviet Union - “Russia”. This was the first full-cycle confectionery plant in the USSR. He was considered the only one in the country and now remains one of the largest enterprises not only in our homeland, but also in Europe. Already in 1970, "Russia" was put into operation. The equipment of the chocolate factory in Samara made it possible to produce up to 25 tons of products per year. In 1992, the company was reorganized, making OJSC Confectionery Association "Russia". After 3 years, the Samara factory passed into the ownership of the Swiss company Nestle, which bought back a controlling stake.
"Russia" as a subsidiary of Nestle
With the onset of the 90s, the factory began to look for a strategic partner in order to be able to introduce new working methods into production technologies that would help it survive in the harsh economy of that time. It became the company Nestle, with the advent of which in the history of "Russia" a new page comes off. Even then, Nestle was the world's largest food producer, so its expertise and the subsequent introduction of new technologies in the production process, as well as its rich knowledge of marketing, distribution and logistics, helped the Samara chocolate factory return to its track without compromising on quality and losing large finance.
It is equally important that the parent company, which made positive changes to the work of “Russia” and shared its rich experience, carefully treated the traditions of the Samara confectioners. The recipes of the classic products were preserved, which include the Voyage, Sudarushka and Coffee with Milk chocolates, as well as the Collection and Native Open spaces sweets.
Where is the chocolate factory "Russia"?
The company is located in Samara, on Kirova Avenue, building No. 257. The factory is divided into several workshops, each of which carries out certain work on the preparation of raw materials, the production of sweets, packaging, packaging and storage. Since its founding, the chocolate factory in Samara has not changed its address and, as before, is surrounded by greenery.
Products manufactured at the chocolate factory in Samara
The company produces chocolate and confectionery. Today the assortment of the factory includes more than a hundred items of products under the domestic brand “Russia - a generous soul”, “Komilfo”, and also produces sweets of the international brand Nestle. These include the classic chocolate of the same name , bars NUTS and NESQUIK.
The factory regularly produces a limited collection of sweets. For example, holiday sets. Periodically, the assortment is replenished with new products - in 2014 it was a series of “Favorite desserts” under the brand name “Russia is a generous soul”. Before the New Year , all kinds of gift sets for children appear.
The entire range of the chocolate factory "Russia" in Samara is divided into the following product names:
- tiled chocolate;
- Bars
- candy;
- gift boxes of sweets;
- hot chocolate under the Nestle brand;
- Nesquik Cocoa.
Some sweets belong to the premium category. For example, Comme il faut. For the manufacture of these products, exclusively high-quality natural ingredients are used, from chocolate to nut filling. Moreover, the production and packaging process of Komilfo is almost completely carried out manually.
Delicious work at a chocolate factory in Samara
The plant employs about 1,500 people. Periodically, new job opportunities appear on job sites that fill up very quickly. So getting a factory is not so easy, especially since the work here is considered one of the most prestigious in Samara.
How is the production of goodies?
For the manufacture of "snacks" the factory has the necessary modern equipment and qualified specialists in the field of food industry. Since the basis of chocolate is cocoa, the process begins with the processing of cocoa beans. They are carefully crushed in a grinder, during which cocoa nibs are obtained. The saturation and taste of future chocolate depends on the grinding process.
After mixing and grinding, the finished chocolate mass is obtained. But it must go through another unit designed for conching (mixing). This process allows you to remove excess moisture, lumps, rid chocolate of excessive bitterness and volatile acids. Conching lasts from several hours to several days and is the longest stage.
At a chocolate factory (Samara), using specialized equipment, they also make pastilles for bars, wafer crumbs for candies, chop nuts, in general, prepare raw materials and additives that are necessary in a particular recipe. For the manufacture of each type of sweets, there is special equipment: the candy is rolled into a layer in a large roller, the chocolate bar is made in special forms, the bars are cut into strips with a huge knife and so on.
After manufacturing the products, it enters the packaging workshop, where it is placed in boxes and wrappers, packaged and sent to the warehouse. By the way, there is a very interesting and, perhaps, the most “tasty” position - a taster. Before packing, the quality of the form, taste and smell of sweets and chocolates is checked, and this is done by a whole group of employees.
A tour of the territory of the chocolate factory is the dream of every child
Surely no one would refuse to go on an excursion to a real chocolate factory in Samara. Photos of those who managed to fulfill their dream are fascinating, and the captions to them make you envy them in a good way. In the reports of photojournalists, in addition to acquaintance with the processes of making chocolate, you can see another interesting point - a visit to the laboratory, in which everyone can try to make candy in miniature.
Getting to the site is not easy: Nestle takes the safety measures at work very seriously, and therefore rarely allows outsiders to visit the workshops. But soon it is planned to open a museum of chocolate "Russia", where you can get acquainted with the history of the company, its assortment and the intricacies of making goodies that we love so much since childhood.