Werther's Original and Toffifee don't look anything alike - one's a butterscotch, the other's a hazelnut under domes of nougat cream and chocolate - but both come from the same family-run German company that's been making sweets since before the First World War.
A three-person candy factory in Westphalia
August Storck founded his confectionery business in 1903 in Werther, a small town in the Westphalia region of Germany, starting with just three employees supplying sweets to local shops. Storck later changed his surname to Oberwelland, and the company - August Storck KG - has remained under the Oberwelland family's control ever since, passing to founder's son Hugo Oberwelland in 1921.
A cheap candy that made the company's name
In 1934, Storck launched the "1-Pfennig Riesen" - according to the company, the first branded penny candy sold in Germany - which helped establish the Storck name nationally, long before its two most famous products existed.
Werther's Original, 1969
Storck launched its butterscotch recipe under the Werther's Echte name in 1969, later known internationally as Werther's Original. Built around butter and fresh cream, and backed by decades of advertising centred on a grandfather-and-grandson pairing, it became one of the best-selling boiled sweets in the world. You'll find the full range in our Werther's Original collection.
Toffifee, 1973
Four years later, Storck introduced Toffifee: a hazelnut set in caramel, topped with nougat cream and a chocolate dome. It remains one of the company's best-known products outside Germany, sold in its distinctive brown-domed plastic tray.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Storck?
August Storck founded the company in 1903 in Werther, Germany, starting with a small factory employing three people. He later changed his family name to Oberwelland, and the Oberwelland family still owns the company today.
When was Werther's Original launched?
Storck launched its butterscotch recipe in 1969 under the name Werther's Echte, later marketed internationally as Werther's Original.
When was Toffifee introduced?
Toffifee, the hazelnut, caramel, nougat cream and chocolate sweet, was introduced by Storck in 1973 and remains one of its best-known products worldwide.