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The Unknown History of Nutella
From a small Italian bakery during World War II to breakfast tables in 160 countries, Nutella’s history is one of the most delicious success stories ever told.
Imagine it’s 1940s Italy, World War II is raging, and chocolate has become a luxury few can afford. In the small town of Alba, nestled in the hazelnut-rich Piedmont region, a young pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero faced a problem that would accidentally change breakfast forever.
Pietro watched workers heading to factories each morning, carrying simple bread with tomatoes for their meals. He had an idea that seemed crazy at the time. What if he could give them something sweet and affordable to spread on their bread instead?
The solution was hiding in plain sight. Hazelnuts grew abundantly in his region, while precious cocoa was scarce and expensive. Pietro mixed the two together and created a product never before seen.
In 1946, Pietro launched Pasta Gianduja. Named after a beloved local carnival character, this chocolate-hazelnut mixture came in solid blocks wrapped in aluminum foil. Workers could slice it and spread it on bread.
The timing was perfect. A kilogram of this spread cost 600 lire compared to 3,000 lire for pure chocolate. Italian families couldn’t get enough of it.
But on March 2, 1949, Pietro Ferrero died of a heart attack at just 51, exhausted from personally driving his little Fiat Topolino through Piedmont’s hills to distribute his product.
His wife Piera and brother Giovanni took over, but it was Pietro’s son Michele who would turn his product into something legendary.
Michele Ferrero had big dreams. In 1951, he revolutionized his father’s recipe, making it creamy and spreadable. They called it SuperCrema, and it flew off the shelves for over a decade.
But then a new Italian law banned superlatives like “super” in brand names. Michele needed a new name for his spread.
So Ferrero combined the English word “nut” with the Italian suffix “ella.”
On April 20, 1964, the first jar of Nutella rolled off the production line in Alba.
Italy fell in love immediately. Children would bring slices of bread to markets, and vendors would spread Nutella on them for free—a practice locals called “The Smearing.”
But Michele had global ambitions. In 1965, Nutella launched in Germany with its now-iconic jar design. The 1967 Carosello television ads in Italy became legendary. Nutella became synonymous with Italian culture and cuisine.
The real breakthrough came in 1988 when Nutella sponsored the Italian national football team.
By 2007, Nutella had conquered Europe, but something magical happened that year. An Italian-American blogger named Sara Rosso was so passionate about Nutella that she created World Nutella Day on February 5th.
What started as a small celebration exploded across social media. Millions of fans shared recipes, memories, and photos. Ferrero initially tried to shut it down in 2013, but the backlash was swift. They wisely reversed course and eventually took over the celebration in 2015.
The brand embraced social media like few others. Today, there are over five million Instagram posts with the Nutella hashtag.
Success brought scrutiny. In 2012, Ferrero paid $3 million to settle a lawsuit claiming their ads misrepresented Nutella as healthy. The company had marketed it as part of a balanced breakfast, but critics pointed out it’s essentially a chocolate spread.
Then came the recipe change controversy of 2017. When Ferrero slightly increased the sugar content, fans noticed immediately. The backlash was so intense that it made international news.
Environmental concerns also emerged. France’s ecology minister criticized Nutella’s palm oil use in 2015, nearly causing a diplomatic incident with Italy.
Nutella didn’t stop evolving. The brand expanded beyond the classic jar:
Nutella & Go! combined the spread with breadsticks for on-the-go snacking. Nutella B-ready wrapped the spread in crispy wafers. In 2019, Nutella Biscuits became an instant hit in France and Italy.
And in 2017, the first Nutella Café opened in Chicago.
Today’s Nutella empire is staggering. A jar sells every 2.5 seconds worldwide. The company uses 25% of the global hazelnut supply. About 100,000 tons annually. Each jar contains exactly 52 hazelnuts.
Michele Ferrero became Italy’s richest man before his death in 2015, leaving behind a $26 billion fortune. His son Giovanni now leads the company, maintaining the family tradition that started in a small bakery 80 years ago.
