In 1863 Gerardus Droste opened his pastry and biscuit bakery in Haarlem on the corner of Grote Houtstraat / Gedempte Oude Gracht, where McDonalds is now located. In the facade you can still see the old decorations of Droste.

 

From 1891, the bakery made chocolate here in the cellar. The cocoa beans are stored in the attic and in the specialty shop downstairs the famous Pastilles Droste are sold -  in Dutch we call them 'flikken'. This shop remains a Droste sales point until 1946.

 

In 1891, to get more space for production, Droste moved to a factory on the Noorder Buiten Spaarne in the Veerpolder. An excellent location that enables the supply of raw materials and the transport of finished products by ship. Droste produces cocoa powder and chocolate here.