Over 200 friends and business partners of the Çoban family as well as the members of the European Candy Kettle Club celebrated the prestigious award on 05th of October.
Dear editors and friends of the European Candy Kettle Club,
we are honoured to inform you that Mr. Erdoğan Çoban, CEO of Şölen, Turkey, has received the 2025 European Candy Kettle Award. The award ceremony took place at the Çiragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkiye.
Over 200 friends and business partners of the Çoban family as well as the members of the European Candy Kettle Club celebrated the prestigious award.
The famous Burcu Esmersoy led through the evening. Highlight was the music performance presentation of Candan Erçetin.
Another highlight was the launch of the new Şölen product Biscolata Ice and Fire. It was exclusively presented to all guests and represents the innovative power of the Şölen company.
About Şölen
Founded in 1989, Şölen is one of the leading companies in the Turkish snack sector. The company gained significant momentum with exports in 1991 and joined the Turquality Program in 2007. Şölen's facilities in Gaziantep and Istanbul have an annual production capacity of 330 thousand tons. The Gaziantep facility, which has the world's most advanced technological equipment including a smart warehouse, lines for artificial intelligence, and robots, produces at industry 4.0 standards. The company has over 3000 employees.
Biscolata, Milango, Ozmo, Boombastic, Luppo, Papita, and Nutymax are award-winning Şölen brands that are loved worldwide.
Şölen is one of the top three players in the Turkish market. It is one of the top 3 players in the total snack market, the leader of the children's chocolate segment with Ozmo, Luppo is the 2nd brand in its category, 3rd in the filled biscuit market, and among the biggest players in the holiday and treat category.
Firsts and successes
Şölen was the first to offer treat chocolate in kilos for holidays and ensured the birth of the treat chocolate segment.
Produced the first designer chocolate. Had Milango, in the treat and gift category, designed by Karim Rashid, one of the most famous designers in the world.
Created a phenomenon brand with Biscolata. Today, Biscolata men have entered the literature of daily conversation.
Created the first children's category in Turkey with Ozmo. In some countries where Ozmo is on sale, consumers express the name of that category as Ozmo.
The first organization in the Turkish food sector to have a single legal entity and R&D centers in 2 different locations. Patent Champion. Şölen is 7th in the "Patent Champion Companies" list and first in the chocolate, confectionery, and bakery products category.
Şölen has 10 utility models, 13 European patents, 20 international patents, and 35 national patent applications.
The reasons why:
Question to Mr. Erdoğan Çoban:
Mr. Çoban, how does it feel to be mentioned in the great family of Candy Kettle award winners such as Michele Ferrero, Sir Alan Cadbury and Majlen Fazer?
Erdoğan Çoban: "This prestigious award, presented by the European Candy Kettle Club, is not only an honor for Şölen but also a proud achievement for our country. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all my colleagues whose dedication and passion made this success possible.
Since the day we were founded, we have advanced with an innovative vision — placing quality, taste, and our consumers at the heart of everything we do, while building distinctive brands. We have consistently reinvested in technology and innovation. In our world-class production facilities, we craft our globally recognized and much-loved brands such as Biscolata, Milango, Ozmo, Boombastic, Luppo, Papita, and Nutymax.
Today, the products we manufacture in our two production centers reach consumers in 120 countries across five continents. Over the past 36 years, we have carried the pride of becoming a truly global brand. Yet this pride also brings great responsibility — as we continue to create value for our country and stakeholders, we aim to help shape the future of the global confectionery industry.
This award stands as a reflection of our unwavering commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability. With our vision to build a stronger Şölen for future generations, we will continue to invest and move forward with determination toward our goal of creating a lasting brand legacy. I would like to thank the members of the European Candy Kettle Club and all our stakeholders who have joined us tonight and honored our success."
(Photos by Şölen)
