History

The love for making sweets has been in the Koenen family for generations. Jan Koenen Sr. started as a pastry chef, but when the Second World War broke out, everything changed. Ingredients for pastries became scarce and strictly regulated. While the production of pastries was severely restricted, the rules for chocolate were slightly less strict. This led Jan to discover that he took much more pleasure in making chocolate than in baking, and he decided to dedicate himself entirely to the magical world of chocolate. He never returned to the pastry trade.

In the same period, Jan Sr. became the father of five children, including the two brothers, Jan and Louis Koenen, the founders of Cerisette. Jan and Louis chose to train as chocolatiers in Belgium and started a small business. They worked from their garage: during the week they produced chocolate, and at the weekend Jan delivered the treats by bicycle. One of the most challenging chocolates Jan made was the Cerisette bonbon, a refined delicacy with a cherry on its stem. This subtle creation became the inspiration for the company's name, Cerisette, derived from the French word for ‘cherry’.

The company grew slowly but surely. While Jan ambitiously dreamt of international expansion and further growth, his brother Louis placed more value on tradition and a small-scale approach to the business. This difference in vision led to them going their separate ways in 1974, but they always continued to work together in different capacities.

In 1974, Jan and his wife Toos moved to the centre of Oisterwijk, where they opened their first shop with production at the back. The Cerisette bonbons quickly became a household name in Oisterwijk. In 1988, Cerisette expanded to a larger location on Industrielaan in Oisterwijk, where the factory was improved and further optimised. This location remains the company's home to this day. Cerisette grew into an exporter, supplying customers in the Netherlands and various other countries.