Rebecca Odermatt
Rebecca Odermatt is a qualified pastry chef and confectioner who won several competitions whilst still an apprentice. She completed her apprenticeship at Confiserie Klaus in Bülach, where she had the privilege of learning directly from the owner himself. She is the creative force behind miniSchoggi, putting her heart and soul into her work. Through the skilful combination and measurement of ingredients, combined with sophisticated production techniques, she creates new works of art every day. She is also responsible for production at miniSchoggi. At Lindt & Sprüngli, she was in charge of setting up the new Maître Station in Sydney, where she developed the creations required for the Australian market. At miniSchoggi, she is responsible for the entire training programme, product management and marketing.
Thomas Ramseier
Thomas Ramseier is a qualified food technologist and completed his apprenticeship at Lindt & Sprüngli in Kilchberg. He then spent four years working as a part-time maître chocolatier at events and trade fairs. He worked on a short-term project at Confiserie Sprüngli before going on to study business at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. However, chocolate has always remained a passion of his, and so he still finds himself creating pralines from time to time. At miniSchoggi, he is responsible for all events, administration and the technical aspects of the company and the online shop.
The miniSchoggi team
Of course, none of this would be possible without the dedication and passion of the entire miniSchoggi team – whether it’s in customer service, order processing, the warehouse, during our one-off courses, or all the other little details that ensure everything runs smoothly. Together, we do our very best every day to meet your expectations and provide the very best quality and service. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to our loyal customers.
miniSchoggi GmbH ’s development since its foundation
The story of miniSchoggi is one of a passion for chocolate and sweet creations. It is steeped in tradition and speaks of quality with a guarantee of Swiss origin. It has its roots in a desire to share the joy of sweet treats. Immerse yourself in this story and discover the ingredients behind miniSchoggi.
February 2014: Founded
Christmas: Family and friends came together. It was that time of year again for giving presents. We made chocolates and brought joy to our loved ones. The feedback was heart-warming. We even managed to delight those who are usually sceptical about chocolate. We have always been passionate chocolate lovers and want to share this passion with others. This Christmas experience was the catalyst, the starting point for a sweet entrepreneurial journey, from the chocolatey idea to the melt-in-the-mouth result. It was the beginning of miniSchoggi. We, Rebecca and Thomas – a pastry chef and confectioner and a food technologist – founded miniSchoggi GmbH in February 2014. From then on, we wanted to share our pralines not just with our family and friends, but with everyone. A market analysis showed that, up to that point, there were no praline suppliers offering bespoke creations and top quality: Conventional chocolate production relies on machinery. Whilst this allows large quantities of chocolate to be produced, it does not achieve the quality of traditional handcrafted work. Our vision: to preserve classic chocolate-making techniques and breathe new life into them amongst our fellow human beings. These sweet treats are Swiss Made certified, and the fresh ingredients are prepared by hand. Chocolates are crafted, and chocolate cubes and mini truffles are put together to suit your taste. We aim to pass on our expertise in chocolate-making through courses. Over a period of several months, we developed a concept, a production facility and, finally, our online shop for our start-up in Hirzel.
May 2014 Online Shop
In May 2014, the time had finally come: after weeks of planning and technical fine-tuning, our online shop went live. From then on, customers could put together their own boxes of chocolates at the click of a mouse. The outer shell of the treat was individually combined with the desired filling, the matching decoration was chosen and the preferred packaging selected. Rebecca, the creative force behind miniSchoggi, then crafted the sweet delicacies, tailored entirely to the chocolate customers’ tastes.
21 August 2014 First chocolate-making course
On 21 August, we held our very first chocolate-making course. Back then, we had no idea just how much enthusiasm the courses would generate. We wanted to share our sweet expertise and turn our customers into amateur confectioners themselves. In the chocolate courses, participants learn in small groups how to temper chocolate professionally and work with it by hand. This way, every single participant learns the art of the chocolatier and can benefit personally from the expertise of our confectioners. Our in-house sessions at companies or in customers’ homes allow for bespoke chocolate-making courses, offering an even more personalised and sweet experience.
November 2014: A new focus on chocolate-making courses
Our chocolate-making courses became so popular that we adapted our business model and began to focus primarily on them. We were now able to share our enthusiasm for chocolate and its melt-in-the-mouth qualities even more effectively with others. For example, budding young chocolate artists create sweet Easter bunnies and St Nicholas figures in our specialised courses for children. We have also expanded our range of courses for adults. Course participants help and exchange ideas with one another, so that after an entertaining evening, everyone goes home with their own sweet treats and plenty of new knowledge. Whether it’s pralines, chocolate bars, cakes or sweet figurines – there’s a course to suit every taste. What’s more, our semi-finished products shop – the only one of its kind in Switzerland – provides course participants with everything they need to set up their own confectionery at home.
February 2015 New venue in Zurich Wollishofen
We kept growing and growing, which is why we soon ran out of space at our Hirzel premises. Since February 2015, we have been running a venue in Zurich Wollishofen. We are delighted to welcome course participants to our chocolate bakery.
From April 2015: Gradual expansion of the team
The extra space at our venue also allowed us to expand the team, something we’d been needing to do for a long time. At miniSchoggi, we welcomed new course leaders. We were also delighted to have new staff join us in the office. Thanks to the hard work of our staff, we can now host larger events for up to 300 people.
New cake-making courses from May 2015
In spring 2015, we began developing our cake-making course programme, and our two classic cake-making courses soon took shape: the Basic Cake-Making Course and the Cake Decoration Course, both of which were met with great enthusiasm.
From September 2015, Bern
Towards the end of the year, and in response to increased demand in Bern, we opened an additional venue in the Matte district of Bern, where, from September onwards, we were able to serve and pamper our customers with a range of fantastic public and private courses. We continue to extend a warm welcome to our customers there to this day.
From August 2016 – new premises in Adliswil
Just under a year and a half after moving to Zurich Wollishofen, our team grew once again to include a few more members, and we had to look for new premises as space was gradually running out. With the decision to move the office and the entire warehouse to Adliswil, we now have a dedicated and slightly larger training room in Wollishofen – alongside our production facilities – where we warmly welcome our participants. We’ve settled in comfortably in Adliswil and now have, alongside a larger office, another very large and cosy training room.
From September 2016, additional events and public courses
For us, having more space also meant expanding our public programme and range of events. In addition to our existing courses, we introduced the Basic Cake-Making Course 2, as well as cake-making courses led by our guest tutors, which we run every year. In terms of events, alongside our classic praline and chocolate bar courses, we introduced further courses such as the ‘High Heels’ moulding course, children’s birthday parties and various pre-wedding celebrations.
From August 2017, the shop will be moving from Wollishofen to Adliswil
We said goodbye to our course venue in Wollishofen and opened a shop at our premises in Adliswil, stocking over 2,500 products. As well as housing our office, this location now serves as a shop, a course room and a warehouse, where we lovingly pack all our parcels every day and send them to you. We’re open every day from 10.00-12.30 and from 14.00-18.00, and we’re happy to offer advice and share tips and tricks with you in person.
From October 2017: New patisserie and baking courses
To keep up with the latest trends and stay on track, our Dessert Course 1 provided some sweet moments for all those with a sweet tooth. From crème brûlée and lemon tartlets, through to semifreddo, panna cotta and classic apple strudel – we’ve got it all here! Alongside the summer dessert course, we also warmly invited our participants to our biscuit-making course, creating a festive pre-Christmas atmosphere. Here, too, there was plenty of baking and snacking going on.
From May 2018: New Éclair and Bean-to-Bar course
To avoid having to travel all the way to France, we brought French patisserie to Adliswil and surprised our participants with our new Éclair & Pâte à Choux course. Desserts, simply given a modern twist. And for our chocolate lovers, we created a real sensation with our Bean-to-Bar course. Here, our participants get to select their own cocoa beans and process them all the way through to the finished couverture and chocolate bar.
New bread-making courses from August 2018
To expand our range of courses a little and take a break from sweet treats for a change, we introduced three completely different bread-making courses. The plaited bread course, the speciality bread course and the sourdough beginners’ course ensure that there is sure to be something exciting for every participant. From September 2018, participants were able to attend the courses and take their delicious creations home with them straight away.
New macaron course starting in September 2018
Just one month later, we turned our attention to a new treat. Macarons, or ‘Luxemburgerli’ as they’re known here, are famous everywhere, but many people find them tricky to make at home. As such a delicacy shouldn’t be considered too difficult, we’ve developed an exciting new course on the subject. We received enthusiastic feedback very soon after the first courses took place. The macarons turn out perfectly at home too and are a hit with loved ones!
New ice cream course from June 2019
During the hot summer months, we all need to cool down from time to time! What could be better than some homemade ice cream? We’ve developed 22 different flavours of ice cream and sorbet, which have been made and enjoyed in our courses since June 2019. The little tubs of ice cream made in this way are beautifully labelled and taken home, where they delight anyone looking for an ice-cold treat.
New buttercream flower course starting in September 2019
Buttercream flowers hold a great fascination. These elegant blooms look incredibly sophisticated and, with a little practice, can be made in no time at all. We have been offering this experience to participants on our buttercream flower course since September 2019. In each of the courses, participants create incredibly beautiful cakes and elegantly decorated cupcakes, which then go on to amaze family and friends back at home.
December 2019: Closure of the Wollishofen site – Zurich
After almost five years, the premises in Wollishofen had become too small and no longer met the standards we wanted to offer our numerous participants, so we closed the site in favour of a new location in Adliswil. However, we are delighted to have found an excellent new tenant who will continue to use the premises for food production.
January 2020: Refurbishment and opening of a new event venue in Adliswil
Across more than 330 m², five modern event and training rooms are being built in Adliswil, opposite the existing venue, to meet the continuing strong growth in demand and to be able to offer further courses in future. Following a refurbishment phase lasting almost five months, all the rooms will open their doors at the start of March 2020 and are looking forward to finally being put to use.
March 2020: Coronavirus and compulsory closures
The coronavirus and the associated measures have made it impossible to open the new event venue and have forced us to close for months, with all courses and events suspended.
September 2020: Suspension of children’s birthday parties
The room, which was set up specifically for children’s birthday parties but has been used fewer than five times, is unfortunately being closed down because there is no longer any demand for it due to the coronavirus pandemic. We very much regret this, but we very much hope to welcome any interested children to our other courses (St Nicholas or Easter Bunny).
October 2020: Film Studio & Online Events
The former children’s birthday party room is being transformed into a modern cooking and film studio with state-of-the-art equipment for Full HD streaming. This also enables us to offer a new range of online team events, where participants can bake or make their own chocolate and pralines. With groups of up to 150 people and participants from all over the world, it’s a completely new experience and a very exciting, yet challenging, time. Alongside the courses, we also provide the materials, which can be delivered almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere.
December 2020: Covid-19 and compulsory closures
The coronavirus and the associated measures are once again making it impossible to hold courses and events, forcing us to close for a good four months with all courses and events suspended.
From January 2021: online courses and recipe book sales
On the one hand, new online courses are now available on the following topics: cream slices, lemon tart, apple strudel, Easter cake, pastel de nata, no-bake cake, raspberry roulade and Florentines. On the other hand, the recipes for each of these topics can also be purchased individually.
May 2021: Opening of the warehouse in Steinhausen
In order to continue to guarantee the highest quality, availability and speed of delivery for our bakery products, our administrative offices and warehouse have been relocated to Steinhausen, where we now have over 650m² of warehouse and office space, enabling us to process orders as efficiently as possible.
June 2021: Closure of the Bern site
Unfortunately, we have had to close our Bern branch. This is because we were unable to continue covering the costs associated with the enforced closure, which lasted for months due to the coronavirus, and received no financial support, whilst also anticipating insufficient demand in the coming months. We deeply regret this decision and are now focusing entirely on the Adliswil branch.
New Tirggel and Spekulatius course from September 2021
In this course, we’ll take you on a journey into a long-forgotten aspect of Zurich’s culinary culture and breathe new life into the traditional Tirggel. Until 1840, only bakers in the city of Zurich had the right to make Tirggel.
New aperitif course from October 2021
In the aperitif course, great taste comes first! We’ll be sharing recipes that are quick and easy to make and taste absolutely delicious! You’ll make most of the aperitif canapés yourself during the course.
New pretzel-making course starting in January 2022
With their distinctive lye flavour, they’ve become an integral part of any bakery. This course involves hands-on work! You’ll be kneading, shaping, dipping, cutting and sprinkling. Learn how to prepare the dough professionally, how to work it correctly, and how to shape it into a wide variety of end products such as pretzels, pretzel sticks, small rolls and much more.
New Chopped Chocolate Course from January 2022
Chocolate pieces – You’ve certainly never tasted chocolate this fresh before. In our course, we’ll show you how to make your own delicious chocolate pieces using a wide range of carefully selected ingredients.
New airbrush chocolate-making course from February 2022
In our course, you’ll learn how to use an airbrush correctly and what you need to bear in mind when airbrushing with cocoa butter colours. By the end, you’ll go home with lots of new knowledge, a comprehensive recipe booklet and around 50 colourful chocolates.
New puff pastry course starting in March 2022
In the puff pastry course, you’ll learn how to make puff pastry from scratch and what you need to bear in mind during the process. You’ll see that making your own puff pastry isn’t that difficult at all. The puff pastry is used to make a variety of products, ranging from sweet to savoury.
New Easter cake decoration course starting in April 2022
In this course, you’ll model this cute bunny with a carrot in the middle of a carrot patch. This cake couldn’t be more perfect for Easter. We’ll provide you with a pre-baked carrot cake, which you’ll fill with a delicious cinnamon filling and cover with fondant during the course. You’ll learn how to create neat edges and how to cover a cake with fondant beautifully and without any creases, as well as how to decorate it with various decorations.
From May 2022: New rice paper cake decoration course
In our summer cake decoration course, you’ll learn how to make a beautiful seaside-themed cake. The highlight of this course, however, is working with rice paper. The course instructor will show you how to colour and shape it, and what fantastic effects you can achieve on a cake. During the course, you’ll also make lots of different underwater decorations using fondant.
New summer patisserie course starting in May 2022
In our summer patisserie course, you’ll make 17 patisserie items in three different delicious flavour variations. You’ll make all the mousses and creams required for the patisserie items yourself on the day of the course. You’ll learn about different ways of making mousses and discover new preparation techniques. Our course instructors will show you, step by step, how to make the creams and how to give them their final finish.
Confectionery course from October 2022
A course featuring four different heavenly almond biscuits that everyone loves! In this course, we’ll show you how to make amaretti, Züngli biscuits, caramel tuiles and cantuccini. All four biscuits are very different in terms of how they’re made, their flavour and their appearance, but they all have one thing in common! They’re all incredibly delicious and highly addictive.
From October 2022: Fair-time rates
We’ll take you back to your childhood and proudly present our funfair-themed course. On the course itself, you’ll learn how to make Magenbrot, caramelised almonds, the finest Basler Leckerli and moist Birnenweggen. But as a funfair has so much more to offer, and unfortunately not all these delicacies can be covered in a single course, we’ve put together – as always – a very comprehensive recipe booklet for you, featuring lots of other brilliant recipes.
From January 2023: cream slices
Arguably Switzerland’s best-known and most popular pastry – the Cremeschnitte! In our Cremeschnitte course, you’ll learn how to make this delicious Swiss classic. We’ll show you how to make your own puff pastry quickly and easily. In our puff pastry recipe, we use real Swiss butter, which gives our Cremeschnitte a super-tasty and crispy puff pastry base. The vanilla cream is the heart of every Cremeschnitte! For the vanilla cream, we make a firm version without gelatine (vegetarian), with a wonderful vanilla flavour in the cream, created using real vanilla seeds.
Pastel de Nata course from January 2023
Pastel de Nata are small puff pastry custard tarts that originate from Portugal. In our baking course, we’ll show you how to make these delicious custard tarts. At the end, everyone gets to take home their 12 homemade Pastel de Nata tarts.
Chocolate Decoration Course, starting in February 2023
This course is all about making various chocolate decorations. We’ll show you lots of different techniques for creating chocolate decorations, which you’ll then be able to try out for yourself straight away. Step by step, you’ll learn how to make beautiful ornaments, butterflies, leaves, spirals, drops, sticks, chocolate chips, flames, nests, cut and die-cut chocolate decorations, or even two-colour chocolate rolls.
From February 2023: Mohrenkopf Patisserie Course
The ‘Mohrenkopf’, a very popular confection in patisseries, is a ball made from sponge mixture, filled with vanilla cream and coated in chocolate, mocha or coloured fondant. In our course, you’ll make this delicious treat as a mini pastry and, at the end, you’ll go home with around 20 mini Mohrenköpfe of your own making in a variety of flavours.
New pasta course from May 2023
We’ll show you just how varied pasta can be and how quickly and easily you can make fresh pasta at home. In Italy, there are two main types of pasta: egg pasta (pasta all’uovo) and pasta made from durum wheat semolina (Pasta semola di grano duro). Using the doughs you’ve made, you’ll learn to make various types of pasta such as: spaghetti alla chitarra, gnocchi sardi, orecchiette, farfalle, garganelli, pappardelle, fettuccine or stuffed ravioli.
Yeast-based pastries course, starting in July 2023
Yeast-raised pastries are boring, dry and unremarkable. At least, that’s what most people think – and, unfortunately, this is often the case with yeast-raised pastries. But it doesn’t have to be that way! We’ll prove you wrong and show you just how quick and easy it is to make delicious yeast-based baked goods. What’s more, we’ll share recipes with you that you may never have tasted or even seen before.
From January 2024: Patisserie Schnitten
In this course, each participant will make 12 beautiful and incredibly delicious slices in six different flavours. Each slice consists of a crunchy base, a moist almond sponge, a fragrant, soft centre and a light, melt-in-the-mouth cream. Once layered, each slice is coated in a thin, crisp layer of chocolate and finished off using a variety of decorative techniques.
June 2024 New warehouse location – Wittenbach SG
The warehouse in Steinhausen had become too small, and following an extensive search and a major refurbishment, we were able to commence operations at the warehouse in Wittenbach SG in June 2024. Over 10,000 different products are stored across an area of around 2,000 m². Excellent links with Swiss Post now allow us to offer a wider range of dispatch options. Orders received by 4 pm can now be dispatched on the same day. The local dispatch team works hard every day to process your orders with great care.