From Maklár to the stars: the journey of space chocolate

The Maklár factory is the heart of Stühmer: classic bar and slice chocolates, premium desserts, salón candies and pastries are made here, and it is here that the ideas that then lead to new innovations are born. The modern production lines operate with an annual capacity of seven hundred tons, super-fast robot arms assist in the candy sorting and packaging processes, while the company simultaneously preserves tradition and opens up to new things. The plant produces more than one million bars and more than five hundred thousand dessert chocolates per year, and during the candy season, half a million pieces are produced per day. This is also where the production of Stühmer Moment Korfu began, which is the earthly continuation of the story of space chocolate.

During their visit to the factory, Tibor Kapu and Gyula Cserényi recalled the inspiring moments they experienced in space travel.

“The Earth from space is much more exciting than I expected. Orbiting at 28 thousand km/h, you realize that there are always storms, there are always clouds, they are much more frequent than I thought. This teaches you to look at everyday life differently: we all experience good and bad days at the same time, but this does not mean that tomorrow will be bad or that everyone experiences the same thing.”

– said Tibor. He also had a special experience related to the Hungarian space chocolate:

“On the first Tuesday evening, we had a dinner together, all eleven of us sat down at the table. I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to offer the space chocolate for dessert. Everyone loved it, and strangely enough, it seemed tastier in space than on Earth.”

Gyula Cserényi experienced the mission from the ground control side:

“The moment when Tibi docked to the space station and I saw him go inside was indescribable. That’s when it really hit me that after years of work, we had really achieved it: we had sent a Hungarian person to the International Space Station,” he said, adding: “Until now, I only believed that space exploration could appeal to young people, but now I know. Every day we experience how much inspiration and momentum it gives to the children, and for me this is one of the most beautiful benefits of this mission.”

Tibor and Gyula were given an exceptional surprise during their walk at the candy production line: they were the first to taste Stühmer’s new product this year, the Korfu candy, a Christmas version of the terrestrial space chocolate, the gift box of which also features the two astronauts. As another highlight of the event, Péter Csóll, the owner of Stühmer, presented each astronaut with a space chocolate from the original set, cast in epoxy resin, as a memento of the inspiring moments. Tibor brought the original Stühmer patch, certified by Axiom Space, which he had traveled to space with.

“For us, this patch is more than a badge: it is proof that it is worth boldly embarking on even the most daring dreams. And to make such dreams come true, we need to turn off the problems of everyday life, let go, and let our imagination soar.”

– said Péter Csóll.

Stühmer is a brand of both tradition and innovation. The company believes that if we allow ourselves the freedom of inspiration and dare to dream big, then anything is possible; even for a Hungarian chocolate bar to reach the stars.