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The highlight is the Boeri season, the classic pralines filled with cherries and liqueur, for which Italians spend over 10 million euros, 80% concentrated in modern distribution.
“Like most chocolate-based products, sales are concentrated from September to the Christmas period,” he explains Jean Valery Raffard, CEO of market leader Witor’s (122.5 million euro turnover). The Boers are the historical product of this Cremonese company, founded in 1959 and today controlled by 21Invest fundwhich closes 2025 with a solid growth trend, particularly in pralines, and with an expansion into foreign markets (it is present in over 80 countries) in the wake of global phenomena, such as Dubai chocolate.
Witor’s Boeri also recorded strong growth and, during the holidays, expanded their distribution to almost 90% of large-scale retail outlets. These pralines are an appreciated gift, considered in all respects an Italian specialty. Although their origin is linked to continental Europewhere the tradition of pairing chocolate and kirsch has ancient origins. The most accredited thesis attributes its invention to Swiss pastry chef, Emil Gerbeaud, owner of the café of the same name in Budapestof which they are still a flagship today.
There are many versions circulating about his arrival in Italy. What is certain is that in 1962, six years after the launch of the “cousin” My dear by Ferrero, the founder of Witor’s, Roberto Bonettiregistered the name “Il Boero” and began distributing this praline, soon followed by other competitors, such as Zàini, who with his little tree display conquers a place on the bar counters of northern Italy. What made it appreciated was also an effective promotional gimmick: based on the information printed inside the package you could always win at least one more Boer.
Since then it has become a familiar chocolate, so much so that today practically all the big names in artisanal and industrial chocolate making have it in their assortment. To the classic type (extra dark chocolate, liqueur and cherries), still the best-selling, other versions were then added like the one with milk chocolate. The latest innovations from Witor’s offer the non-alcoholic version and fresh pairings with the most loved spirits, such as coffee and sambuca or pink grapefruit and gin. New features also developed to extend the season and push sales into the summer too.
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