Klene is one of the oldest names in Dutch licorice. According to the company's own history, Johannes Coenradus Klene began making sugar-foam sweets (schuimpjes) and jujubes in an attic in Rotterdam in 1876. The brand still uses its old slogan "Neerlandsch Eenige Echte" ("the Netherlands' one and only genuine").
Today Klene is a brand of Perfetti Van Melle, the Italian-Dutch group behind Mentos and Fruittella. It is not part of Katjes, and it does not make Autodrop, which is a brand of the Frisian company Concorp.
From Rotterdam family firm to multinational brand
| Year | Event (as given in Klene's company history) |
|---|---|
| 1876 | J.C. Klene starts making schuimpjes and jujubes in Rotterdam |
| 1908 | Export licence for Greece, Asia Minor and Syria |
| 1911 | His son Frederik joins the business |
| 1940–1945 | War makes export impossible |
| 1946 | Klene products back on the market |
| 1978 | Fire at the factory; production later relocated |
| 1999 | Acquired by Van Melle |
| 2001 | Van Melle taken over by Perfetti, forming Perfetti Van Melle |
Products
Klene makes a broad licorice range: sweet and salty drop, double-salt and salmiak varieties, sugar-free drop and mixed bags. The Wybert brand of throat pastilles is sold under the same umbrella. As with any manufacturer, recipes and line-ups change; packaging lists the current ingredients and, where relevant, the EU-required "contains liquorice" statement (see licorice and health).
Klene in context
Klene shares the Dutch licorice shelf with Venco and Red Band (both Cloetta), Katja and Autodrop, and with supermarket own-label drop. See Dutch candy brands for an overview, and dubbelzoute and salmiak for the salty end of the range.