My brother owns a vintage Ferrari – not as pricey as it might sound. One of his neighbors sold him the 1960s-era car for cheap, in far less than mint condition, and he spent years bringing it back to life. I’ve never had an interest in a Ferrari myself. However, if I change up just two vowels in the word (the “a” and the “i”), I come up with Ferrero. Okay, now you have my attention.
Ferrero is a remarkable success story for a family business, especially considering its start as a modest pastry shop in a small town in northern Italy. Two brothers: Pietro with a love of creating new products and Giovanni a natural at networking, grew the business across the region over the years, but it wasn’t until they handed the reins to son Michele that Ferrero became a household name. Today, the “sweets-packaged food company” is one of the world’s largest, boasting an entire supermarket aisle worth of products.
Let’s start with Nutella (just like Ferrero did when they moved beyond pastries). Nutella was created as a spin on chocolate with the intent of making it more affordable. Add hazelnuts plentiful in local orchards and Ferrero came up with the butter-like confection the world knows so well today. That product all by itself would’ve been considered a success story, but since then Ferrero grew their sweets umbrella to a gigantic list… and one from which I’ve sampled way too many times.
Begin anywhere you want by adding sugar and you’re probably talking Ferrero. How about Tic Tac? It’s a Ferrero product. I’d love to know how many (hundreds? thousands?) of boxes of Tic Tac I’ve consumed over the years, with the excuse I always had a breath mint nearby when I needed one. My choice was the standard white “Freshmint”, but there’s a flavor for everyone now, including the orange “Citrus”, pink and white “Strawberries and Cream”, and even brown “Dr. Pepper”.
Ferrero also commands a good share of the candy bars you’d find at your nearby 7-Eleven. Take your pick from 100 Grand, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Chunky, Oh Henry, or Crunch – they’re all Ferrero now. If you don’t recognize that last one, it’s because Ferrero (or actually Ferrara – one of their subsidiaries) reduced the word “Nestlé” to a really small font on the label. It’s true; a Nestlé Crunch bar may still be produced by Nestlé but it’s now licensed by Ferrero.
Maybe you’re a fan of movie candy. You’ll also find Ferrero at the theater, whether you choose a box of Goobers, Raisinets, or Sno-Caps. Cookies instead? How about the Mother’s Cookies brand? Their pink/white “Circus Animals” and frosted “Taffy Sandwich” cookies still tug at my taste buds. Or maybe you go for those bite-sized Famous Amos chocolate-chip cookies. Amos may not sound Italian but he’s in the Ferrero family now.
When I first met my wife she introduced to me to Fanny May “premium gourmet” chocolates. It was the first time my allegiance to See’s Candies was tested. Trust me, it’s hard to beat a Fanny May milk chocolate vanilla buttercream. For that matter, raise your game with a cherry-filled Mon Chéri or a gold-foiled Ferrero Rocher . Each of these indulgences – except See’s – are now Ferrero.
Which brings me to the ultimate get. The list I’ve covered is not even half of the name brands you’ll find at Ferrero but last year they might’ve reeled in their biggest fish yet… Kellogg’s. Seriously, who among us hasn’t had a bowl (or a hundred bowls) of Kellogg’s breakfast cereal? When I was a kid there always seemed to be a box of Corn Flakes, Special K, or Raisin Bran in the pantry (none of which I was crazy about) and better yet Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, or Honey (Sugar) Smacks. You’ll find a lot more choices than those on the cereal shelves, and in every case you’re talking Ferrero as much as Kellogg’s.
As much as I’ve enjoy Ferrero’s products, virtually all of them are past memories. I’ve moved on to more “adult” choices (translation: way less processed sugar). So I made myself a wager before I checked: There are no Ferrero products in my pantry. And then I promptly lost the bet – twice. I found a box of Raisin Bran (how’d that get in there?) destined to hit its expiration date sooner than the cereal bowl. And I found a box of Nonni’s, which are pretty darned tasty for an off-the-shelf brand of biscotti. I’m starting to think I took the wrong approach with today’s topic. Maybe my lead question was meant to be: what products aren’t under Ferrero’s umbrella?
Life In A Word 
I aspire to eat like an intelligent adult, really I do, but candy – especially chocolate candy – has me seeking it out like a child. And Nonni’s are so yummy with coffee! Interesting post. I had no idea about the vast holdings of Ferrero.
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The box of Nonni’s beckons every time I open the pantry door. I think I need to hide it better. I’m in a good snacking routine these days – opting for more healthy choices – but I expect I’ll dip into the box well before its expiration date. Hard to beat a good cup of coffee and biscotti!
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Dave, I had no idea that Ferrero had other products besides Nutella and those tasty hazelnut chocolates. Where have I been? I figured the Mondelez brand had cornered the market on most of the crackers and cookies. Ferrero sure acquired a lot of brands! I don’t think I have anything here by Ferrero, so that’s probably why this comes as a surprise. I only have oatmeal for breakfast 365 days a year, although the last time I went grocery shopping, I eyed the Quaker Oat Squares I used to eat sometimes back in the day. I love biscotti but quit having them when I got a crown even though the dentist said “eat whatever you want with your new crown, even broccoli!” That remark made me ponder because, in my opinion, broccoli doesn’t seem like it would damage a crown or your teeth, but a biscotti, even dipped into your coffee multiple times might still pose a problem. We had an Italian market where I used to buy packages of biscotti, but it’s been 25 years, so I don’t recall the brand, but they sure were good.
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“… even broccoli?” Oh, that’s a good one. I wonder if your dentist was trying to get inside your head to get you to make healthier choices. On the other hand, broccoli is one of those vegetables destined to get stuck between my close-together teeth (also lettuce, apples, seeds, sigh…) I use toothpicks and floss these days just to keep things clear. So maybe that’s what your dentist meant – the crown is seated well enough to handle between-the-teeth cleaning. And hey, Ferrero has plenty of temptations that are easier on the teeth anyway!
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That blew my mind when he said a crown could handle broccoli. I mean, it’s nice to bite into a piece of broccoli if you’re dipping it in ranch dressing and it has some “snap” to it, but it doesn’t seem like it would damage a crown. When we were younger, we could eat anything with no worries. My dentist told me he has a lot of people come in to see him with damage from tortilla chips, not only to teeth, but to the roof of the mouth as well. I really don’t see tortilla chips taking out a tooth either. Yes, lots of other tasty options and offerings by Ferrerro!
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What a hilarious T-up with the changing the vowels in Ferrari. I LOLed. Didn’t see that coming. Loved it, sort of like how I love Ferrero Rocher.
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I need to grab a Ferrero Rocher off the shelf and remind myself why they’re so decadent. I’ve had them before but it’s been way too long. And yes, my gearhead brother – were he to write this post – would start with “Ferrero” and change the vowels the other direction so the subject matter would be entirely about sports cars. Geez, he and I are so different 🙂
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Funny that you two are so different. I would like to hang out with the both of you. I would like a ride in the car while eating chocolate!
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Ha! I always knew that Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes (which I still want to call Sugar Frosted Flakes) was really candy. And now we are sure, because they are made by a candy company!
Somehow Ferrero Crunch Bar does not have the same lilt that Nestle Crunch Bar has. Or maybe that is only because it has been a Nestle Crunch for my entire life. And I had no idea they now owned Kelloggs. Or Fanny May – whose Meltaways have long been an obsession with my Mrs. A look at their website tells me that Ferrero also now owns Keebler! You are right – what don’t they own?
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Oh my, you do know your Fanny May. The mint meltaways are hands-down one of their best offerings. Now I’m wondering if they ship during the hot summer months. And yes, I ate way too many Nestle Crunch bars as a kid to ever think of them as anything but Nestle. Whomever thought to add the rice krispie bits was a genius.
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You haven’t named one brand I didn’t like. Whoever is in charge of their acquisitions has good taste – pun intended 🙂 I always liked the orange tic tacs as a kid – mint was too spicy of course. Used to use them to practice swallowing pills before I made the switch off liquid medicine.
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Orange-flavored baby aspirin were popular when I was a kid, so orange Tic Tac didn’t sit quite right with me as a candy. Seems to be a trend where a product gets popular because of one flavor, then suddenly you have a dozen more flavors to choose from (Mentos comes to mind). And I agree – Ferrero’s acquisition management team has great “taste”!
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My goodness–Ferrero has been a BUSY company! I’m glad SOMEONE is still making Fannie May candies, and (according to the reputable opinion of your wife) they’re just as good as they’ve always been. It’s been years since I had a vanilla buttercream or one of their turtles, but they were the BEST!
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Wow that’s quite a sweet empire! The only one I could think of was Ferrero Rocher which I associate as being a Christmas gift item, but as I don’t care for hazelnuts its not my favorite. and for that reason I’ve never even tried Nutella!
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Our taste buds share similar DNA, Joni. Ferrero Rocher is elegantly packaged but I wondered what all the fuss was about after tasting one. And I’ve never tasted Nutella, let alone had a Nutella product in my pantry. There are better nut choices than hazelnuts!
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Interesting read. It’s amazing how many products we think of as separate brands are actually part of the same company. Sometimes successful companies become almost invisible; we remember the product, not the business behind it. I suppose that’s the sign of great branding.
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