“Playful Meets Premium”: How Maestrani Is Elevating Travel Retail Confectionery
5 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
With a heritage stretching back more than 170 years, Maestrani has long been recognised for its Swiss chocolate craftsmanship. But the company’s recent momentum in travel retail reflects something more dynamic – a brand house unafraid to innovate, diversify, and surprise.
From playful product lines such as Munz Sportsline and chocolate-filled collectible tins for kids, to premium Avelines pralines and new destination-themed bars, Maestrani is shaping a portfolio that connects emotionally with today’s global passengers. And, following the strategic acquisition of Belgian chocolatier Delafaille, the group is also strengthening its premium foothold.
Senior Key Account & Business Development Manager Travel Retail, Faozia Math-Ly-Roun, is featured here in conversation with TRunblocked.com’s Colleen Morgan.
Colleen Morgan (CM): Maestrani could be described as a restless chocolate specialist – always innovating and exploring new ideas in the travel retail confectionery category. How would you define the key elements of the brand’s DNA today?
Faozia Math-Ly-Roun (FM): At Maestrani, our DNA blends long-standing Swiss tradition with authentic chocolate craftsmanship and a spirit of continuous innovation. Natural ingredients and responsible sourcing are central to who we are, and sustainability guides every choice we make – from cocoa to packaging. At the same time, we bring a warm, joyful Swiss personality to our storytelling and product design, making the brand both premium and approachable.
Maestrani ultimately stands for high-quality Swiss chocolate supported by a curious, forward-looking mindset that ensures we never stand still.
CM: Can you give us a short overview of your portfolio – how the Maestrani, Munz, Minor and Avelines brands each cater to different aspects of the confectionery offer? And how the recent acquisition of Belgian chocolate brand Delafaille strengthens your positioning.
FM: Our portfolio is designed to cover the full spectrum of chocolate moments. Munz is our joyful, family-friendly brand, perfect for sharing or spontaneous indulgence.
Minor, with its high nut content and no-nonsense recipe, offers a more traditional Swiss bar experience while Avelines serves the premium gifting segment with refined pralines and elegant presentation.
Our acquisition of Belgian praline specialist Delafaille further strengthens our premium position.
Belgian chocolate craftsmanship is internationally respected and combining it with our Swiss expertise allows us to offer an even more diverse and elevated assortment. It also expands our footprint, adding production and packaging capabilities that support category growth in travel retail.
CM: Playful yet premium – how do you showcase the brands’ character to international travellers and are you putting the pressure on retailers to give your brands more space?
FM: We showcase this dual personality by creating products and experiences that surprise and delight. Munz focuses on fun formats and vibrant packaging, while Avelines and our premium lines offer sophisticated boxes and handcrafted pralines. Each product is designed to create a moment of discovery, encouraging travellers to stop, sample, and share.
Visibility is crucial, so we collaborate closely with retailers on impactful displays, seasonal activations, and distinctive formats that stand out in busy environments. We don’t just ask for more space. We demonstrate our value through quality presentation, engaging storytelling, and strong consumer appeal. When our brands perform, both we and the retailer benefit.
CM: The Munz Sportsline has attracted attention for its fun, active positioning. How do you evaluate its performance, and are there plans to expand it?
FM: The Munz Sportsline has performed extremely well and created strong visibility since its launch. It embodies the Munz spirit – playful, energetic, and backed by Swiss chocolate quality. We measure success through sales but also consumer engagement: how often travellers pick it up, interact with it, or share it on social media. From that perspective, it has fully met expectations and resonates strongly with younger, experience-driven consumers.
We see opportunities to evolve the line with seasonal releases, new flavours, and limited-time activations. Keeping the energy fresh is key to reinforcing Munz as a brand that remains relevant and fun in travel retail.
CM: The Sportsline activations seem to appeal across generations – perfect for travel retail, right?
FM: Absolutely. One of the strengths of the Sportsline is its cross-generational appeal. Children love the playful packaging, while adults appreciate the humour, quality, and originality of the concept. This broad appeal makes it ideal for travel retail.
Our activations are designed to spark curiosity and interaction – through standout displays, seasonal themes or interactive elements – ensuring travellers notice and remember Munz. Creating memorable shopping moments drives both immediate purchases and long-term brand affinity.
CM: You’ve also launched new destination-focused chocolate bars. How do these products reflect your approach to local relevance and gifting appeal in travel retail?
FM: Destination-themed bars allow us to connect with travellers through a sense of place. Starting in Dubai and Turkey, we developed bars that showcase local flavours, visuals, and cultural references. They become more than chocolate – they’re small, meaningful souvenirs of each destination.
This approach taps into two major travel retail trends: the demand for authentic, locally inspired products and the strong appetite for ready-made gifting. By pairing Swiss chocolate quality with regional storytelling, these bars encourage both first-time and repeat purchases.
CM: Turning to Asia, the baby ladybird and dragon tins have made an impact. Tell us about the creative process behind them.
FM: Our Munz baby ladybird and dragon tins are great examples of how we blend chocolate craftsmanship with creativity with cultural insight. The designs are developed in-house, in collaboration with local market experts who help us understand regional symbolism and visual preferences.
We aim to create products that are eye-catching, collectible, and giftable. These tins stand out on shelves and connect emotionally with travellers, which is essential in Asia’s highly competitive gifting landscape.
CM: And what about the new Avelines Pralines line, following in the footprints of the Princess range?
FM: The Avelines Pralines line builds on the success of the Princess range by offering even more refined gifting options for premium-seeking travellers. It showcases craftsmanship, natural ingredients, and elegant presentation – key attributes for the luxury confectionery segment.
Avelines is featured in a dedicated Christmas activation at Geneva Airport, alongside partners such as Mavala Swiss Beauty brand, Chiara Tedeschi Swiss Jewelry brand & Masaba Coffee – both part of the Elevate Brands portfolio led by Mirabela Lauterbach, as well as Advini wines. This curated environment elevates the brand and reinforces its artisanal positioning.
CM: Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest opportunities for Maestrani in global travel retail?
FM: Innovation will remain a key driver – whether through new flavours, formats, or destination-led concepts that excite travellers. Sustainability is another core priority. Consumers increasingly expect transparency, natural ingredients, and eco-friendly packaging, and we are determined to lead in this area.
Digital storytelling also offers tremendous potential. Our partners have already seen strong engagement from our Munz Sportsline video content in-store and online. Bringing our narratives and heritage to life digitally deepens the emotional connection with travellers.
By combining innovation, sustainability, compelling storytelling and fun, we aim to deliver a differentiated, premium chocolate experience that resonates with travellers worldwide.
