At a Glance

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At a Glance

Manner – a sweet vision

Josef Manner & Comp AG is a specialist for sweet delicacies: wafers, sugar-coated treats and aerated confectionery. We are a rare example of an Austrian company that has remained predominantly family-owned since its foundation – a very genuine family tradition! We export our popular confectionery products to more than 50 countries, even beyond the borders of Europe.

Over 130 years of original Austrian recipes

For over 130 years, Manner has relied on original Austrian recipes and the highest quality standards. Every Manner wafer is crafted according to strict quality criteria to preserve the unique taste and crispy texture that have delighted generations.

Responsible value creation is at the heart of our production.

Tradition meets innovation – our locations

At two locations—the main factory in Vienna’s 17th district and the branch in Wolkersdorf, Lower Austria—around 700 employees are engaged in production. These facilities manufacture products under the Manner, Casali, Napoli, Ildefonso, and Victor Schmidt brands. In the 2018 financial year, the revenue of Josef Manner & Comp AG amounted to €209.9 million.

This is how only the pink original has tasted since 1890.

1889

Confectionery store at the Stephansplatz in Vienna

Josef Manner I – pioneer and merchant

Josef Manner started a shop selling chocolate and fig coffee in Vienna in 1890. His goal: better quality at reasonable prices. His motto: “Every child who spends a kreutzer should not only have a treat, but also be given a valuable food product.”

1890

Establishment of “Chocoladenfabrik Josef Manner” and registration of St. Stephen’s Church as a trademark

Josef I becomes a chocolate manufacturer

Because his suppliers were not able to deliver chocolate of the desired quality, Josef Manner decided to produce it himself. In 1890, at the age of 25, he bought a small chocolate factory in Vienna and took ownership of the “Chocoladenfabrik Josef Manner”.

1890

“Chocolate for everyone”

“Chocolate for everyone” was Josef Manner’s motto. He expanded due to its success in 1890, sold the shop and factory and relocated to Kulmgasse in Hernals. By 1897, he was in charge of managing 100 employees in his capacity as a chocolate manufacturer. The “Stephansdom trademark” is a lasting reminder of its origins.

1898

Neapolitan Wafer No. 239

The Manner wafer, now an absolute icon, first made its appearance in 1898 as “Neapolitan Wafer No. 239”. The name refers to the hazelnuts from the Naples region, which awakened Mediterranean desires. The pack size has never changed to this day.

1900

Manner- Riedl

Josef Manner hired a partner early on: accountant Alfred Teller entered the business in 1893, but sold his share to Johann Riedl in 1900. This laid the foundation for the successful cooperation between the Manner and Riedl families, which continues today.

1904

The leading confectionery company of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

Under the management of Josef Manner and Johann Riedl, the company grew steadily. The expansion of the Hernals factory began in 1904 and lasted until 1913. Manufacturing often took place alongside the construction site, as demand grew faster than the available space.

1913

Manner becomes a stock corporation

After expanding the factory and purchasing state-of-the-art machinery, Manner soon established itself as the market leader of the Danube Monarchy. On 23 October 1913, the company went public as “Josef Manner & Comp AG”. Josef Manner and Johann Riedl headed the company with 3,000 employees and state-of-the-art production facilities.

1947

From economic boom into the design age

The founder of the company, Josef Manner, passed away in 1947 and did not live to see the economic upturn. In the 1960s, Manner succeeded in taking the leap to the age of technology with the introduction of flavour-preserving, double-aluminium packaging with the typical red tear strip – an Austrian design classic to this day.

1964

Manner was back at the forefront again

With the new packaging, the Manner wafer became the most successful and widest-selling item in the entire range at the speed of the jet age. As early as 1964, Manner was able to set a new milestone: for the first time since 1914, the record turnover achieved at the end of the Danube Monarchy was exceeded.

1970

Brand acquisition of Casali & Napoli through merger

In 1970, Manner merged with Napoli, Ragendorfer & Co., the second largest Austrian confectionery manufacturer. The Casali and Napoli brands added popular classics such as Casali Chocolate Covered Bananas and Napoli Dragee Keksi to the range.

2000

Brand acquisition of Victor Schmidt

In 2000, the company Victor Schmidt & Söhne GmbH also made its debut as a member of the extended Manner family with the brands “Ildefonso” and “Victor Schmidt Austria Mozartkugeln”.

Old Illustration of Children eating Manner Chocolate

Illustration of woman eating Manner Wafer

Illustration of 2 people kissing and Manner Wafers being displayed

Illustration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart eating Chocolate

Finest ingredients and vegan from the very beginning

Pink promise of quality

Manner wafers taste very special… and uniquely delicious!

This is of course due to the particularly fine ingredients: only the very best hazelnuts produce such a wonderfully nutty flavour. It is important to us that we source our cocoa in accordance with Fairtrade conditions. We roast the precious cocoa beans ourselves in Vienna: if you ever come to visit us, you’ll find us by following the scent! It wafts through the streets around the Manner factory.

Manner quality that you can taste – for over 130 years.

But this is, of course, also due to our original recipe: the flavour of our Manner wafers has been unmistakable since 1890. The founder and inventor Josef Manner developed the little delicacy out of a genuine fondness for people – everyone should be able to enjoy the sweet indulgence. This ingredient – love – is certainly the most valuable one that we diligently add to our sweet treats every day. It also fills the air when the freshly baked wafers come out of the large ovens with their wonderful aroma!

Sweet delight – the secret of Manner pink.

And the packaging is no less important: Manner pink makes everyone smile. Whether you’re giving yourself a present, handing someone else a pack or discovering it in a drawer or your bag as a little pick-me-up – the friendly glow has an immediate effect. It makes you think of all the lovely moments that Manner has sweetened for you… And as soon as you open the pack, you create the next memory: crispy, nutty, tender, creamy and full of love! Only pink tastes like this.

Regional Production & Fair Trade

Sustainable indulgence

Made locally, with decadent vegan options, and fairly traded!

Made locally

In 1890, Josef Manner opened a small store in the heart of Vienna – only a short distance from the Giant’s Gate of St. Stephen’s Cathedral – selling mainly chocolate bars and fig coffee. Soon thereafter, the chocolate maker from Stephansplatz decided to produce his own chocolate. At just 25 years old, Josef Manner I bought the trading licence, premises and equipment off a small chocolate producer in Vienna’s 5th district, on the road that was then called Wildenmanngasse – and on 1 March 1890, he became the proud new owner of the chocolate factory “Chocoladenfabrik Josef Manner”.

It was not long before the site became too small, though, and so the company moved to Vienna’s 17th district, where the Manner Original Neapolitan Wafers are still produced to this day. Another site was later opened in Wolkersdorf, Lower Austria, just outside Vienna, where Manner produces delicious pink Manner products.

Vegan delights

Our wafers were vegan before anybody even knew the term! Manner Neapolitan Wafers have even become Hollywood stars, thanks to the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and have proudly assumed the role of our most popular vegan product. In fact, they were already vegan as far back as 1898, when they first appeared in Manner Confectioneries’ product catalogue under the rather sober name “Neapolitaner Schnitte No. 239”.

… and that’s how they’ve remained to this day!

Fair trade

On average, customers enjoy two packs of Manner Wafers every second. They have been available in perfectly crispy bite-size pieces and presented in the same way according to the original recipe for more than 100 years.Surely it can’t get any better than this? Yes it can!

Since 2020, Manner has been using 100% certified sustainable cocoa in every one of its branded products. Then, 2021 saw the next important step in terms of sustainability, when all Manner Wafers were awarded the popular FAIRTRADE cocoa seal.

Fairtrade Cocoa

What’s behind the FAIRTRADE cocoa seal? Products bearing the FAIRTRADE label are grown and traded in accordance with Fairtrade International standards. The FAIRTRADE standards are the set of rules that smallholder co-operatives and companies along the entire value chain have to adhere to and that are changing the way we trade. They include minimum social, ecological and economic requirements to safeguard the sustainable growth of producer organisations in developing countries.

Why Fairtrade makes the difference

Financial stability for smallholder families.

Fairtrade improves the livelihoods of smallholder families as the majority of Fairtrade products are sold at a fixed minimum price. On top of the fixed minimum price, the smallholders also earn the Fairtrade premium, which is invested in a project of their choice.

Improved working conditions & environmental protection

In producing Fairtrade products, care is also taken to ensure that employees are guaranteed good working conditions and able to take paid overtime and holidays. Employees are also entitled to freedom of association and trade union rights. Child labour and discrimination are also strictly prohibited.

Because Fairtrade products are grown in an environmentally friendly way and natural resources are protected, they promote the preservation of our natural environment. In addition to that, dangerous pesticides and genetically modified seeds are prohibited. Fairtrade also ensures that water consumption is regulated and helps to promote the installation of proper irrigation systems.

Photograph of woman standing besides bags of cocoa beans

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