As Johannesburg and Cape Town meat wholesalers we may focus primarily on our Halaal and non-Halaal meat products – not to mention our fantastic range of frozen foods and pastries of course – but there’s a special place in all our hearts (and stomachs) for delicious chocolate!

And nothing can be more delicious than the world’s favourite chocolate spread – Nutella®. Slathered on a slice of fresh bread or all gooey on a warm pancake, Nutella® has been a treat for chocolate-lovers across the world for more than 50 years and if you’ve ever wondered where or how it first began, wonder no more …

It all started in Italy in 1946 with a man by the name of Pietro Ferrero. As chocolate was still being rationed (the sweet rationing in Britain only ended in 1953!) Ferrero came up with the ingenious idea of creating a sweet paste made from hazelnuts, sugar and a little cocoa, shaped into a loaf and cut into slices which were then served on bread. It proved very popular and in 1951 its consistency was altered to make it more spreadable.

In 1964, Ferrero’s son, Michele improved the recipe and created the first-ever jar of the hazelnut and cocoa cream we know and love today – at which point it was also christened Nutella®. In 1965 it spread (see what we did there) to Germany, in 1966 to France and in 1978 it branched out to the rest of the world. 

Loved by nations around the globe, we have a sneaky suspicion the Germans may love it more than most – in 2005 they entered the Guinness Book of Records for gathering 27,854 people to participate in the Largest Continental Breakfast Ever with Nutella® 

In 2007 Nutella® received its global day of recognition – 5 February – and in 2014 it celebrated its 50th birthday! If you’re wondering just how many jars are sold annually, marvel at these figures:

• You could circle the world 1.8 times with the amount of Nutella® produced in one year.
• You could cover the Great Wall of China 8 times with the number of jars of Nutella® sold in a year.
• There are so many jars of Nutella® made each year, that they would line the banks of the Danube 26 times over. That's a river so long, it flows through 10 different countries!
• The amount of Nutella® produced in 1 year weighs the same as the Empire State Building.

Anyone feeling a little sugar craving coming on?

We may not sell Nutella®, but if you want to satisfy that craving, we can help! We offer a delectable range of high-quality donuts, assorted pastries and sweet pastries all made with the finest ingredients and ready to enjoy, so be sure to call N1 today – for all your meat, frozen foods and pastry needs!