Blackbird Blog: CANDY SHOPPE: 350 YEARS of BISSINGER'S

The Bissinger's Story*

In a small kitchen in Saint Louis, there is a place where tradition and quality are still the most important ingredients in the making of the world's finest chocolate confections. This special place is Bissinger's, one of the last handcrafted chocolatiers in the world. Bissinger's has been making fine French confections for more than 350 years and takes pride in the fact that it has not sacrificed quality ingredients, taste or craftsmanship to produce more candy at a lower cost. Even today, in an age of high-tech production and immediacy, Bissinger's remains committed to the high standards, heritage and traditions that have made the company what it is today.

The History*

The name "Bissinger" has long been linked to fine confections. The Bissinger family began creating their fine delicacies in 17th-century Paris, and at that time European nobility, heads of state, Ludwig of Bavaria and the Rothschilds were all loyal Bissinger enthusiasts. Bissinger's confections were once enjoyed by King Louis XIV and were used as a gift by Napoleon Bonaparte to his beloved Josephine upon his return from battle. In fact, Karl Frederic Bissinger, the company's namesake, was named the Confiseur Imperial, or "Candy Maker of the Empire," for excellence in the confectionery arts by Emperor Louis Napoleon.

Karl Bissinger left France in 1845, bringing his loyal master candy maker and all of the Bissinger family candy making secrets to the United States near Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1927, his son, also named Karl, opened the Bissinger candy making kitchens and first Bissinger shop in Saint Louis on McPherson Avenue. That store closed in the spring of 2007, but a replica will be rebuilt in the popular City Museum in Saint Louis, for chocolate lovers of all ages to enjoy for years to come.