1998.-2000.-First products and sugar free cookies development
Ground floor of the house built in 1922 has been rearranged into small production line. In that house, back then when Istria was part of the Italy, Dorijana’s grandma and grandpa had a food store and a shoe repair store („Manifatture“) and cookies are still being produced in the same house. First cookies were baked on 02.03.1998. Technologists from Italy, Slovenia and Zagreb („Kraš“) were teaching us in crafting. “Delicia“ was, in the beginning, „one man band“, Dorijana was still working in elementary school, but in the afternoons and on weekends, she was helping in production. The first products made back then were „Preferans“, „Čokolo“ and „Integral“, while only „Integral“ is still being produced.
Our first van going through Gorski Kotar on the way to the customers in Zagreb
Our first buyers were „Istracommerce“. „Puljanka“, „Getro“ and many small stores which were the key players in the market back then. By the end of year 2000, Delicia had 4 employees. During all those 3 years, we were searching for and testing ingredients necessary to produce sugar free biscuits. In the 1999 we have introduced 2 more products to the market: Kokosovi poljupci (Coconut Kisses) which we are still producing and Master Cookie with 2 kinds of chocolate, walnuts and orange, but it was later replaced with other products.
But, on the market, retail chains were rising, both domestic and foreign, and Delicia didn’t have contracts with them….
2003.-2007. –growth
Probably the most important year in Delicia’s history was the year 2003. Small stores have almost vanished because they were eaten by retail chains. Suddenly, we were left with only few serious buyers. Delicia was very close to the bankruptcy, we couldn’t return loans nor pay to our suppliers. Our employees wages were late.
Our first ISO 9001 certificate from 2004 and first certificate of Croatian Quality from 2006
Delicia Racing Team 2005.
By the end of 2007, the number of employees has risen to nine. Space of the ground floor has become too small and it was limiting growth so for the 2007, our most important task was dealing with paperwork and finance for investment in the expansion and acquisition of the packaging machine.
Spicy tea biscuits, Die Hard (the hottest tea biscuit in the world) and a real mediterranean product: Oregano cookie with oregano and dried tomato.
Since the establishment, we are constantly creating new products. With the insistence on natural ingredients, innovation is one of the main characteristics of our company. Through the years, the packaging was changing and we were also constantly looking for high quality ingredients, so today’s products look nicer then the previous and also have better nutritional value. They look like this, but you should find out more about each of the in the PRODUCTS section.
Our most famous products: sugar free tea biscuits
New sugar free products line-Delvita. Among them is also Delvita with Istrian truffles (third from left). First tea biscuit with truffles in the world.
1997. – Registration of the company, interior arrangement and decoration works
Since we have decided to produce the best and the healthiest cookies in the world (see WHY DO WE MAKE COOKIES) we should have started somehow.
We wanted to open a craft production, but we had no confectioner qualification which is a prerequisite in Croatia. So, an ˝expert˝team consisting of teacher and economist registered a Ltd company for production of ˝toasts, biscuits and other food products˝.
The future legend was ˝born˝ at Commercial court in Rijeka on 30.09.1997.
Our first products from 1998.-Preferans, Integral and Čokolo
2001.-2002.-First sugar free cookies
At the end of the year 2000, we have offered to our clients the complete novelty: 3 original and tasty sugar free biscuits called: VitaliX, IntegraliX and ZobeliX. Their taste was identical to the taste of cookies with sugar. The basic sugar replacement was isomalt which we were importing from Germany. We didn’t have money so we were packing all the products in the almost same packaging with a little window, the only difference was the text. But, the original new products did intrigue new costumers; Plodine, Brodokomerc, Mercator, Advent, etc. The number of employees has increased to 6, and among them was Dorijana who had left school teacher job. And in the packaging, even our sons were helping…
Today we don’t know how, but in that year, the bases for future growth were set:
1 – We switched to the paper packaging with cardboard pattern;
2 – we started with establishing HACCP system for food safety and ISO 9001:2000 quality management system. We were the first food or drink producer in Istria with ISO certificate when we were certified in 2004.;
3 – We started exporting to Slovenia (Mercator, Interspar, Leclerc)
4 – We started with distribution in Dalmatia with a partner from Split
The effects were dramatic, the sales were rising/growing, and already in 2003 among buyers was Kerum), in the 2004 Konzum and Tommy were included, in the 2005 DM-drogerie markt, and in 2006 Kaufland.
Sons Vlatko (left) i Marin (right) helping in packaging, 2001
In the 2006 we became the first Istrian producer of food and drinks awarded with „Croatian Quality“ mark.
During whole our history, we were trying to help activities and events in our surroundings. Given the limited opportunities, we weren’t able to be included in the sponsorships of major sports. However, as town of Buzet is the city of octane, and it is the only city in Croatia where Hill Climb European Championship car races are held, we wanted to take part in races, too. But, vehicles competing there are too big for us, so we have decided to create a smaller racing team, Delicia Racing Team, in order to compete in ˝Trka s vozićima˝ (races on wheeled wooden boards) which were for years held a week before the main hill climb race
Preliminary works for the expansion of production capacity, 2007
In the 2006, we have procured a small packaging machine for HoReCa products to broaden our assortment and we have shyly started to appear in cafes. For the HoReCa needs, we have developed crunchy biscuit with butter and vanilla – Valentino, and most original product with dark chocolate chips – ChocoBoom! Until 2013 revenues from HoReCa accounted for only a symbolic share of total revenue.
Some of the first HoReCa products, 2006/2007
Products with raw cane sugar
2008.-today: maturity
In the spring of 2008, the production has expanded at three times the space. In the next few years we have increased product range and also, except in Slovenia, we had exports in Serbia, Macedonia, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia. There was also a growth in HoReCa segment and in 2011 we have certified our products according to Halal standard. A year later, Delicia is entitled to use sign “Superbrands-Croatia’s Choice” as a top brand among the sugar free cookies in Croatia..
1997. – Registration of the company, interior arrangement and decoration works
Since we have decided to produce the best and the healthiest cookies in the world (see WHY DO WE MAKE COOKIES) we should have started somehow.
We wanted to open a craft production, but we had no confectioner qualification which is a prerequisite in Croatia. So, an ˝expert˝team consisting of teacher and economist registered a Ltd company for production of ˝toasts, biscuits and other food products˝.
The future legend was ˝born˝ at Commercial court in Rijeka on 30.09.1997.
1998.-2000.-First products and sugar free cookies development
Ground floor of the house built in 1922 has been rearranged into small production line. In that house, back then when Istria was part of the Italy, Dorijana’s grandma and grandpa had a food store and a shoe repair store („Manifatture“) and cookies are still being produced in the same house. First cookies were baked on 02.03.1998. Technologists from Italy, Slovenia and Zagreb („Kraš“) were teaching us in crafting. “Delicia“ was, in the beginning, „one man band“, Dorijana was still working in elementary school, but in the afternoons and on weekends, she was helping in production. The first products made back then were „Preferans“, „Čokolo“ and „Integral“, while only „Integral“ is still being produced.
Our first van going through Gorski Kotar on the way to the customers in Zagreb
Our first buyers were „Istracommerce“. „Puljanka“, „Getro“ and many small stores which were the key players in the market back then. By the end of year 2000, Delicia had 4 employees. During all those 3 years, we were searching for and testing ingredients necessary to produce sugar free biscuits. In the 1999 we have introduced 2 more products to the market: Kokosovi poljupci (Coconut Kisses) which we are still producing and Master Cookie with 2 kinds of chocolate, walnuts and orange, but it was later replaced with other products.
2001.-2002.-First sugar free cookies
At the end of the year 2000, we have offered to our clients the complete novelty: 3 original and tasty sugar free biscuits called: VitaliX, IntegraliX and ZobeliX. Their taste was identical to the taste of cookies with sugar. The basic sugar replacement was isomalt which we were importing from Germany. We didn’t have money so we were packing all the products in the almost same packaging with a little window, the only difference was the text. But, the original new products did intrigue new costumers; Plodine, Brodokomerc, Mercator, Advent, etc. The number of employees has increased to 6, and among them was Dorijana who had left school teacher job. And in the packaging, even our sons were helping…
But, on the market, retail chains were rising, both domestic and foreign, and Delicia didn’t have contracts with them….
2003.-2007. –growth
Probably the most important year in Delicia’s history was the year 2003. Small stores have almost vanished because they were eaten by retail chains. Suddenly, we were left with only few serious buyers. Delicia was very close to the bankruptcy, we couldn’t return loans nor pay to our suppliers. Our employees wages were late.
Sons Vlatko (left) i Marin (right) helping in packaging, 2001
Today we don’t know how, but in that year, the bases for future growth were set:
1 – We switched to the paper packaging with cardboard pattern;
2 – we started with establishing HACCP system for food safety and ISO 9001:2000 quality management system. We were the first food or drink producer in Istria with ISO certificate when we were certified in 2004.;
3 – We started exporting to Slovenia (Mercator, Interspar, Leclerc)
4 – We started with distribution in Dalmatia with a partner from Split
The effects were dramatic, the sales were rising/growing, and already in 2003 among buyers was Kerum), in the 2004 Konzum and Tommy were included, in the 2005 DM-drogerie markt, and in 2006 Kaufland.
Our first products from 1998.-Preferans, Integral and Čokolo
Our first ISO 9001 certificate from 2004 and first certificate of Croatian Quality from 2006
In the 2006 we became the first Istrian producer of food and drinks awarded with „Croatian Quality“ mark.
During whole our history, we were trying to help activities and events in our surroundings. Given the limited opportunities, we weren’t able to be included in the sponsorships of major sports. However, as town of Buzet is the city of octane, and it is the only city in Croatia where Hill Climb European Championship car races are held, we wanted to take part in races, too. But, vehicles competing there are too big for us, so we have decided to create a smaller racing team, Delicia Racing Team, in order to compete in ˝Trka s vozićima˝ (races on wheeled wooden boards) which were for years held a week before the main hill climb race
Delicia Racing Team 2005.
By the end of 2007, the number of employees has risen to nine. Space of the ground floor has become too small and it was limiting growth so for the 2007, our most important task was dealing with paperwork and finance for investment in the expansion and acquisition of the packaging machine.
Preliminary works for the expansion of production capacity, 2007
In the 2006, we have procured a small packaging machine for HoReCa products to broaden our assortment and we have shyly started to appear in cafes. For the HoReCa needs, we have developed crunchy biscuit with butter and vanilla – Valentino, and most original product with dark chocolate chips – ChocoBoom! Until 2013 revenues from HoReCa accounted for only a symbolic share of total revenue.
Some of the first HoReCa products, 2006/2007
Since the establishment, we are constantly creating new products. With the insistence on natural ingredients, innovation is one of the main characteristics of our company. Through the years, the packaging was changing and we were also constantly looking for high quality ingredients, so today’s products look nicer then the previous and also have better nutritional value. They look like this, but you should find out more about each of the in the PRODUCTS section.
Products with raw cane sugar
Our most famous products: sugar free tea biscuits
2008.-today: maturity
In the spring of 2008, the production has expanded at three times the space. In the next few years we have increased product range and also, except in Slovenia, we had exports in Serbia, Macedonia, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia. There was also a growth in HoReCa segment and in 2011 we have certified our products according to Halal standard. A year later, Delicia is entitled to use sign “Superbrands-Croatia’s Choice” as a top brand among the sugar free cookies in Croatia..
Spicy tea biscuits, Die Hard (the hottest tea biscuit in the world) and a real mediterranean product: Oregano cookie with oregano and dried tomato.
New sugar free products line-Delvita. Among them is also Delvita with Istrian truffles (third from left). First tea biscuit with truffles in the world.