Praline art from Denmark: sustainably produced and packaged

Business success stories usually begin with a boundless passion for a product and a desire to share it with a specific target group. In the case of Summerbird Organic, there was also a pioneering spirit inspired by the love of fine food: the Grønlykke family were responsible for introducing French cuisine to Denmark with two gourmet restaurants, earning the country its first Michelin star. However, as any top chef will tell you, it’s quite a jump from haute cuisine to creative chocolaterie. At this point, a certain ambition enters the fray, stoked by a US business partner who asked the family to develop a biscuit for him. In the early concept phase, Lene and Sven Grønlykke and their son Michael had their sights set on a recipe in which marzipan would take centre stage. However, the initial euphoria evaporated once they realised that there was no marzipan of a sufficiently high quality to be found anywhere in Denmark at the time. Without further ado, the family travelled to Spain, where they were introduced to the famous Valencia almonds, the main ingredient for premium marzipan. But feeling it was sacrilege to turn this premium ingredient into a dough for biscuits, the Grønlykkes decided simply to coat the marzipan with chocolate instead. Perhaps you can guess what happened next? Here, too, they felt that the best was only just good enough and that the very finest chocolate wasn’t available in Denmark back then. So they set off on their travels once again, this time to Valrhona, a company located south of Lyon that is still known today for producing the best raw chocolate to be found anywhere in the world. They soon recognised the shared commitment to quality that would form the basis of a close collaboration from that point onwards. Together, they developed a recipe for chocolates that would allow the fine flavour of marzipan to fully unfold.

This deep-rooted understanding of quality, paired with a passionate vision, finally gave the first butterfly its wings in 1986. Summerbird – a direct translation of the Danish word for ‘butterfly’– entered the market with its first chocolates: made using very few ingredients but the finest ones available. To this day, it has remained devoted to finding the ultimate taste experience – and true to its iconic butterfly shape. However, ongoing efforts to ensure complete sustainability have resulted in small changes to the production and distribution. For instance, the company has used only organic raw materials since 2010, thereby helping to protect and preserve the natural environment that produced them. As Lise-Lotte Tilsted, Head of Administration at Summerbird Organic, explains: “For us, sustainability is not just a passing fad. If you work with food, you simply have a responsibility towards nature and the environment. We have to look after the bees, flowers, soil and groundwater. This is why the cocoa beans used in Summerbird chocolate are sourced only from selected plantations in Peru and Ecuador that actively help to protect the South American rainforests.” All stages from initial plantation to the final raw chocolate are perfectly transparent, as summed up in a new name for the company’s sustainable organic production in 2014: Summerbird Organic. Another entrepreneurial dream came true when they opened up their own roasting plant. This meant that they can now develop the chocolate from the harvested cocoa bean all the way to the end product, which is “based on craftsmanship, passion and an uncompromising attitude towards fine food”.

What began with a marzipan butterfly has since expanded into a wide range of premium chocolate art. The key is still choosing the best raw materials – like hazelnuts from the Piedmont region which, as Lise-Lotte Tilsted explains, are “three times as expensive as any other hazelnuts but are in a class of their own when it comes to flavour and texture. And our candied oranges come from the world’s leading producer in the south of France. This is someone who has dedicated his life to producing candied oranges and lemons – and an amazing chestnut purée as well.” Summerbird Organic’s commitment to consistently high quality is therefore not only founded on its own expertise – it is just as meticulous when it comes to selecting business partners who share the same high standards.

But the story doesn’t end here. After all, even the best products need to be marketed properly. Particularly since Summerbird Organic chocolates are sensuous products that are also very popular as gifts. All packaging is designed and created in-house to reflect the true spirit of the company. Craftsmanship, premium quality and sustainability are the attributes that need to be conveyed tangibly.

This is how the Summerbird Organic butterflies found their ‘cocoon’ in an exclusively produced Gmund paper that gets them safely to the customer and is a joy to unwrap. As Lise-Lotte Tilsted tells us: “The look and feel of the packaging play an important role for our products – it should always reflect the quality of the chocolates. After all, we use our eyes and fingertips when making a purchase. With Gmund, we have a combination of exclusive appearance and sustainability – two values that connect us.”

In brilliant white with a velvety feel, the embossed boxes are like miniature jewellery boxes with a Nordic aesthetic. The team behind Summerbird Organic feels that “successful packaging should be both visually appealing and sustainable.”
So if a chocolate butterfly from Denmark should flutter into your home, you can let it melt on your tongue with a clear conscience…