Students De Wadden

Droste
Chocolate factory

History

Droste is a well-known chocolate factory named after Gerardus Johannes Droste. 
It all started with a small store that was opened in 1863. The shop was situated in the Grote Houtstraat in Haarlem. It was a cakes and cookies bakery. A few years after the opening of the shop they also started to sell chocolate and chocolate pastilles (Pastilles Droste) . 
They started to sell more and more chocolate. The two sons of Droste were working in other shops but they were asked to think about doing something with chocolate. Jan Coenraad + G.J. Junior liked that idea and started with it. More and more people started to work for them, so on May 17, 1890 they bought a bigger shop, at the corner of the Grote Houtstraat.
They opened this new shop on August 2, 1890. Mr. Droste and his sons made a deal with Mr. J.A.G. van der Steur. 

From 1891 till 1946 Droste made their own chocolate. But again they did not have enough space, so they had to move again. This time they bought ground at the Noorder Buiten Spaarne in the Veerpolder. This place is on the border of the river Spaarne, so that is very useful. They can transport their product by ship now. 
They also bought ground property from the brothers Van Vloten (15,000 Duitch guilders).

They built a new factory and it was opened in 1897.
So, Droste is not only in Haarlem, but also at the Veluwe and they started to cooperate with a German Factory. Visit also the official Droste Website.

Irene Moors questionnairy
(Irene Moors is a very popular presenter of many TV programs. She presented many years a whole Saturday morning Child Program Telekids. She was born and has lived in Haarlem )

1. How does it feel to be famous?
Very Nice! It also has disadvantages but absolute more profits!

2.Which TV-programs do you present right now?
Sunday afternoon from 4-5pm : Life & Cooking
Sunday evening from 9-10pm : De Firma List & bedrog (The Firm "Trick and Deception")
Both TV programs on channel RTL 4

3. Which program did or do you like to present the most? 
Both present TV programs are nice to do. They are totally different programs. The first one (Life & Cooking) is with Carlo, much chaos! The second program is very exquisite, very special with wonderful topics!

4. With whom did or do you like to work with the most?
What do you think? Carlo of course. First we did one year Hit Bingo, then six years Telekids and now we do Life & Cooking together.

5. What is your opinion about Haarlem ?
A wonderful city! I came here as baby and I never left the town. Nice shops, neat people.

6. Can you tell us a little about Droste?
My grandmother worked at Droste. When it was almost Saint Nick's day, we always got bags and bags full of broken Chocolate Letters with hazelnuts (because they could not melt the chocolate to use it again)

7. What is your opinion about the quality of their chocolate?
When I was a child, I ate too much of their chocolate. Nowadays I hardly eat chocolate. 

8. Can you tell us also something about the Frans Hals Museum?
Sorry, I never have been there. I know, it is a shame!

9. If so, how many times did you visit this famous Haarlem's museum?
Never!

10. Do we have your permission to publish this on the Internet?
Of Course!

This report is written by Martijn, Ten and Kim.

[ click here for more Droste photos ]

[ click here to watch video ]