THE BEST SWEET LICORICE EVER
Although Klepper & Klepper love all their licorice flavours equally (each in its own special way, of course), The Best Sweet Licorice Ever holds a special place in their hearts. After all, this sweet licorice was where it all began. It was the very first of The Best Licorice Ever.
THE OATH OF KLEPPER SR.
It’s Valentine’s Day, 1990. The very first day that Klepper Sr. sets up his candy stall at the market in Alkmaar. It’s raining and storming. In short, terrible weather. And yet… people still come to his market stall to buy candy. This leaves an indelible impression on Klepper Sr. He reflects:
“If people go through so much effort to come and get candy, you must give them something in return. You must offer them the best quality imaginable. Something they won’t find in a supermarket.”
And he makes a solemn vow: as long as I stand on the market, I will offer my customers the best Dutch candy available. Of course, Klepper Sr. didn’t know it at the time, but in that moment, the seed for The Best Licorice Ever was planted.
THE WET BAT EFFECT
Even when you commit to offering your customers only top quality, things can sometimes go wrong. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because mistakes can lead to unexpected discoveries. In science, they call this serendipity. Klepper & Klepper call it the Wet Bat Effect.
Here’s why: at the beginning of the 21st century, Klepper Sr. was selling licorice shaped like bats. The recipe for this sweet licorice wasn’t quite right – it absorbed moisture and became wet. According to the Oath of Klepper Sr., you can’t sell something like that. Yet people kept asking for it.
So even with licorice that isn’t entirely perfect, people can still fall in love with it.
25 YEARS AT THE MARKET
When Klepper Sr. came up with the idea to celebrate his 25th anniversary with a special licorice, Klepper Jr. (who had also spent plenty of hours working at his father’s market stall) was immediately enthusiastic. With his years of experience, Klepper Sr. knew exactly what the average Dutch person liked. He remembered the bat-shaped licorice – the moist, sweet licorice from before.
To prevent the licorice from becoming wet again, Klepper & Klepper identified the starch as the main problem. They collaborated with an independent licorice maker to revise the formula. The new recipe removed both gluten and gelatin. Who would have thought? Gluten-free, gelatin-free licorice with an improved recipe – that’s two birds (or bats) with one stone!
THE ANNIVERSARY LICORICE FROM KLEPPER
Klepper & Klepper kept experimenting with the ingredients and drying time of the sweet licorice until everything was just right: the rich, sweet flavor (with a hint of spice), the mouthfeel, the texture, and the bite. The result was a delightfully soft, sweet licorice that market customers would keep coming back for. This is how licorice is supposed to taste!
Klepper Sr. developed the licorice to thank his loyal customers for their years of support. But once all the licorice had been given away, people kept returning, saying they had never tasted such delicious sweet licorice before.
“There’s more to this,” Klepper Jr. thought to himself – and not long after that, he said it out loud to his father.
The unique qualities were clear: Dutch licorice with a rich, sweet taste, gluten-free, gelatin-free, and a perfect bite. The Best Licorice Ever – Sweet (made with love) was born.
THE PERFECT SWEET FLAVOR AS A FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS
After saying it out loud, Klepper Jr. used his experience at some major companies in the Netherlands to start working on a plan, a name, and the packaging. Together with Klepper Sr., they were certain: not only did people consider it the most delicious sweet licorice ever, but it was also gluten-free and gelatin-free. This could only mean one thing – this was the perfect sweet flavor to build The Best Licorice Ever upon.
With their soft, sweet licorice, Klepper & Klepper spent 1.5 years winning the hearts of many customers at the Alkmaar market. Meanwhile, they devised a plan to approach specialty shops and unique sales stores in North Holland. After gaining 100 stores in their local area, they quickly expanded across the Netherlands.
Today, The Best Sweet Licorice Ever is even available in countries like Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, England, Canada, the United States, and Australia.
In these countries, Klepper & Klepper’s delicious Dutch licorice is available too. Check below to find out where you can buy our different flavors of licorice near you.
Want to know more about the differences between sweet, salty, honey, bay leaf, spicy salty or coffee licorice?
PRODUCT INFORMATION
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