The thirties were the real heydays of caramels in Sweden. Children and adults alike went wild for these golden delights! Over time, however, homemade caramels became a rare sight, a treasure to hunt for at Christmas. A real shame, we thought. So we decided to bring back this delicacy.
In the days leading up to Christmas 2010, we opened up our very first store – selling classic caramels, sauces and chocolate covered confectionery. Ingredients were melted in copper pots, sweets carefully cut by hand and presented in beautiful designs, the dark-green and mahogany hues of the past.
One year later we moved: we had fallen in love with a charming little shop on the island of Södermalm. Large windows let passers-by see straight into our kitchen and watch us work. Mouth-watering scents invited shoppers in for caramels and coffee, jazz playing in the background.
As our sweets flew off the shelves, however, we struggled to package everything fast enough. So one day, we rolled up our sleeves and hauled in a mechanical wrapping machine through the large storefront window. We call her Madame Rose and this cherry-red beauty from the 50s still wraps every single one of our caramels.
In the spring of 2018 we invested in a chocolate machine to be able to dip our soft caramels in a nice blanket of chocolate and take them to the next level. A new classic was born, and now it was getting really crowded in the kitchen in Södermalm.
Our caramels grew increasingly popular, and production was running at full speed—suddenly, the small space on Nytorgsgatan felt far too cramped. So, after a few years in an old brick building near Brunnsviken, we now call the vibrant Slakthusområdet, just south of Stockholm, our new home.
Here, in a bit more spacious factory building we make all our caramel, fold and pack every box, and ship orders across the country—and even beyond Sweden's borders. On Södermalm, we’ve kept our heart and soul in our shop, which transforms into a popular ice cream kiosk in the summers, complete with winding queues for homemade soft-serve dripping with caramel sauce. In winter, it becomes the city’s coziest and most delightful Christmas gift shop filled with sweets.
Our starting point is always focused on the classic caramel, the timeless combination of cream, butter and sugar is hard to beat. Today we play with flavours, textures and shapes to give you new experiences. With an eye for detail and a love of craftsmanship, we flirt with the flamboyance and elegance of the 1940s as we create new classics of our own. Our products come with a promise that the outside will be just as tasteful as the inside. Today, Pärlan can be found here and there, and who knows where we'll show up next?