Our heritage
And there’s a secret to the best recipes known only to the great bakers and chocolatiers.
It’s not just about flavour–it’s also about feeling. Whether it’s creating recipes that endure for generations or building a visionary business that inspires far into the future. It’s something our founding family have always understood.
In 1944, working from their small bakery in Istanbul, the Ülker brothers believed that if they created something with passion, it would be loved in return. They knew that what came out of their ovens created special moments. Shared moments. Family moments. In fact, in their minds, they weren’t baking biscuits at all. They were baking memories.
When we set out on our journey, we had one aim: to be the quality brand families reached for when they wanted the taste of a happy moment."
Sabri Ülker
Founder of the Ülker company in 1944
Sir Alexander Grant, Inventor of the Digestive biscuit
Sir Alexander Grant
The Ülkers’ vision was to bring together the finest minds and ideas in baking from around the world. Bakers and chocolatiers who shared their values and their passion.
Like the McVitie family, who opened their first shop on Rose Street, Edinburgh, in 1832, they turned biscuit making into an art form through meticulous care for both their ingredients and their bakers. This tradition of excellence began over 100 years ago and has endured ever since.
Pierre Draps Jr.
Legendary chocolatier Pierre Draps Jr. shared the same commitment to craftsmanship and attention to detail – a drive that inspired the creation of GODIVA in 1926, now the first name in premium chocolate in hearts and minds across the world.
Pierre Draps, GODIVA founder
pladis
pladis unites the hard work, the brave ideas, and the craftsmanship of these and other baking pioneers. They are our teachers as well as our founders. And their values and commitment inspire us to this day, generations later. They are our heroes and our history. They are pladis.
