Zotter Chocolate was founded in 1987 by Josef Zotter, and it has been a family-owned and operated business ever since. Driven by the ongoing passion of the Zotter family to produce high-quality, sustainable, bean to bar chocolate, Zotter Chocolate has grown to a company of more than 240 employees producing more than 600 tonnes of chocolate annually. Meet the family behind the business.
Josef and Ulrike Zotter
Josef and his wife Ulrike founded Zotter Chocolate in 1987, making a name for the company with oddball confections like Hemp Slice, the Funny Pie, and Scarlet Runner Bean Roll with Coriander. Josef began his career as an organic farmer, apprentice chef, and confectioner. He found his creative stride as a chocolatier with Ulrike managing the company on the administrative side.
Julia Zotter
Daughter of Josef and Ulrike, Julia Zotter works alongside her father developing new products in our Austrian production facility. She has traveled the world, having spent a year in China during secondary school and studying food science and biotechnology at Vienna’s University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. For her final thesis, she traveled to Brazil to research cacao production and later graduated from the Cordon Bleu Academy in Paris with a Grand-Diplome in Pâtisserie and Cuisine.
Michael Zotter
Son of Josef and Ulrike, Michael Zotter also studied at Vienna’s University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, focusing on food science and biotechnology and later specializing in business information systems. Michael runs all things IT at Zotter, managing the website, online store, and more.
Throughout years of growth and innovation, the Zotter family remains committed to producing the highest quality products possible, forging fair trade partnerships with farmers around the world. Learn more about our family and company history on our website and see the results of our passion for great chocolate by browsing our online store.