UBS Monocle
Improving on tradition
Andreas and Charlotte Kuster
Owners, Jakob’s Basler Leckerly
Founded in 1753, the biscuit-maker Jakob’s Basler Leckerly is one of Basel’s – and, indeed, Switzerland’s – most historic companies. The core product, a gourmet gingerbread cookie, has stood the test of time, its delicately spiced variations reflecting the expansion of Swiss trade routes over the centuries.
Jakob’s Basler Leckerly’s fortunes, however, haven’t always been quite as sweet. That is, until the Kusters revitalised the company and brought in the award-winning and playful new packaging, which is proof that, sometimes, it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts.
“This all came about from a cold call,” says Andreas, of the decision to buy the business. “We were both born and raised in Basel, and when we came back to the city 10 years ago, we started looking for companies with development potential. We found Jakob’s Basler Leckerly by pure luck. It was very rundown, there were only five employees left and they didn’t own a computer. But it did have such a rich history.”
The Kusters took over in 2017. They found no consistency to the branding so set about preserving some of the original design features while creating an exciting new packaging scheme. This includes tin boxes that reference figures and sites that you can see around Basel. Quirky interactive mechanical features have made the tins as unique as both the places they invoke and the gingerbread inside.
You can find Jakob’s Basler Leckerly at Spalenberg 26 in central Basel or head to the larger branch on St Johanns-Vorstadt 47, where you can get a glimpse of the factory next door.
