Cacaolat
Cacaolat is a Spanish dairy and beverage manufacturer that produces and sells bottled chocolate milk and adjacent drinks (protein, plant-based, coffee-to-go, powder) under the 1933-founded Original Cacaolat brand to Spanish retail consumers and active-lifestyle customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cacaolat does
Cacaolat, legally Grupo Cacaolat SL, is a Spanish dairy and beverage manufacturer headquartered in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona. Founded in 1933 by brothers Marc and Joan Viader, the company created what it claims to be the world's first bottled chocolate milk drink at the Letona milk factory and has preserved the original formulation unchanged for over 90 years. Its core product is the Cacaolat Original chocolate milk, with the brand expanded over time into a portfolio of variants and extensions including Cacaolat 0% (fat-free, 2014), Sin Lactosa, Mocca (2016), Noir (2017), Cookies & Vainilla (2022), a powder format (2023), a coffee-to-go range (2024), and most recently Cacaolat PRO (25g protein) and a plant-based oat-and-cocoa beverage (2025). A Kids sub-line with collectible packaging and a 'Pastelito' pastry extension round out the offering.
The underlying production is a single-site, formula-driven beverage operation that has been deliberately preserved in its original recipe while modernized in packaging and format. Manufacturing is consolidated at the company's Santa Coloma de Gramenet facility, to which it relocated in 2013. The commercial model is consumer FMCG: products are sold through Spanish retail stores for in-home consumption and through the company's own e-commerce storefront for direct purchases; social channels on Instagram and Facebook support top-of-funnel engagement. Two customer segments are explicitly identified — general consumers and athletes/active individuals — with the broader positioning aimed at mass-market, multi-generational households.
Cacaolat is privately held and family-founded with no disclosed parent company or institutional investors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has no technology platform, software product, API, or mobile app, and revenue is not reported. Distribution and customer base are concentrated in Spain, with no disclosed geographic expansion outside domestic retail.
Cacaolat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cacaolat
- Legal name
- Grupo Cacaolat SL
- Website
- https://cacaolat.es
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Cacaolat is a Spanish dairy and beverage manufacturer that produces and sells bottled chocolate milk and adjacent drinks (protein, plant-based, coffee-to-go, powder) under the 1933-founded Original Cacaolat brand to Spanish retail consumers and active-lifestyle customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cacaolat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Chocolate Milk Beverages
- NAICS
- Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020), Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flavored & Sweetened Milk Drinks (Chocolate/Strawberry, Malted Milk) (AFAHAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fluid Milk & Cream Beverages (Whole/Skim, Half-and-Half) (AFAFAEAA), Coffee & Tea Dairy Beverages (Iced Latte/Milk Coffee, Milk Tea, Chai-Based Dairy Drinks) (AFAHAIAF), Plant-Based & Dairy Alternative Beverages (Oat, Almond, Soy, etc.) (CRADAHAM), Lactose-Free & A2 Dairy Beverages (AFAFAEAE), Dairy-Based Beverages Manufacturing (Flavored Milk, Lassi, Drinkable Yogurt) (AFAKAKAH)
Keywords
Where Cacaolat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cacaolat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
Cacaolat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cacaolat manufactures and sells ready-to-drink chocolate milk beverages and related dairy and plant-based drinks under the Cacaolat brand. The flagship product uses a secret formula created in 1933 that has remained unchanged, and the portfolio spans original, fat-free, lactose-free, protein-enriched, coffee-flavored, plant-based, and powder-format variants sold primarily in Spain.
Product overview
Cacaolat is a Spanish dairy and beverage company offering a portfolio of chocolate milk drinks and related products. The core product is the Original chocolate milk beverage created in 1933 with an unchanged secret formula. The product line spans multiple variants including Cacaolat 0% (fat-free), Sin Lactosa (lactose-free), Cacaolat PRO (protein-enriched with 25g protein), and plant-based options like Bebida Vegetal (oat-based). Recent expansions include Cacao en Polvo (powder format launched 2023), Café para llevar (ready-to-drink coffee, 2024), and Pastelito (pastries). The brand also offers products for children (Cacaolat Kids with collectible bottles) and specialty variants like Mocca (coffee-chocolate) and Noir (intense chocolate).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cacaolat Original: Original chocolate milk beverage with unchanged secret formula since 1933
- Cacaolat 0%
- Cacaolat Sin Lactosa
- Cacaolat Kids
- Cacaolat PRO
- Cacaolat Mocca
- Cacaolat Noir
- Cacaolat Bebida Vegetal
- Cacaolat en Polvo
- Cacaolat Cookies & Vainilla
- Café para llevar
- Cacaolat Lovers
- Pastelito
Products and services
- Cacaolat Original Flagship ready-to-drink chocolate milk beverage made with the unchanged 1933 secret formula; can be consumed hot or cold; targeted at general consumers of all ages.
- Cacaolat 0% Fat-free version of the classic Cacaolat chocolate milk drink for calorie-conscious consumers.
- Cacaolat Sin Lactosa Lactose-free chocolate milk variant targeted at consumers with lactose intolerance.
- Cacaolat Kids Chocolate milk product designed for children with collectible bottle designs including marine animal-themed sets.
- Cacaolat PRO Protein-enriched chocolate milk shake with 25g of proteins aimed at fitness and active-lifestyle consumers.
- Cacaolat Mocca Chocolate milk variant blended with coffee notes, positioned as the 'most cool pleasure' option.
- Cacaolat Noir Intensified dark-chocolate-flavored variant marketed as 'the most intense pleasure' chocolate milk.
- Bebida Vegetal (Plant-based Drink) Plant-based oat-and-cocoa beverage offering a dairy-free alternative with the signature Cacaolat taste.
- Cacao en Polvo (Powder Format) Cocoa powder format allowing consumers to prepare the classic Cacaolat chocolate milk beverage at home.
- Café para llevar (Coffee to Go) Ready-to-drink coffee beverages for on-the-go consumption, expanding Cacaolat into adjacent beverage categories.
- Pastelito Pastry or cake product line extending Cacaolat beyond beverages into complementary snack items.
Companies that use Cacaolat
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cacaolat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Cacaolat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cacaolat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ColaCao: Spanish chocolate-flavored beverage brand (powder and RTD) and Cacaolat's closest domestic rival; both target the same chocolate-with-milk consumption occasion in Spain and compete head-to-head on retail shelf.
- Puleva: Spanish dairy beverage brand owned by Lactalis that markets chocolate milk among its flavored milk lineup; competes with Cacaolat in the same Spanish retail channels on nearly identical SKU formats.
Broad incumbents
- Pascual: Major Spanish dairy group with a broad portfolio of milk, flavored milk, and functional beverages; offers chocolate milk SKUs that overlap with Cacaolat's core category from a much larger distribution base.
- Central Lechera Asturiana: One of Spain's leading dairy brands with nationwide retail penetration; produces flavored and functional dairy beverages that compete for the same Spanish consumer occasions as Cacaolat.
- Nestlé (Nesquik): Global CPG giant whose Nesquik brand is the worldwide benchmark for chocolate milk beverages; competes with Cacaolat on chocolate-flavored dairy across any cross-border expansion and on protein/breakfast occasions.
- Danone: Global dairy and plant-based leader; relevant as a competitor through Alpro (plant-based oat beverage competing with Cacaolat Bebida Vegetal) and through its broader flavored-milk portfolio across European markets.
- Lactalis: World's largest dairy company with extensive Spanish presence (Puleva, Président); represents both a competitive threat and a likely strategic acquirer for branded Spanish dairy assets like Cacaolat.
- The Hershey Company: Global chocolate and chocolate-milk producer whose U.S. Hershey's chocolate milk competes in the same global RTD chocolate milk category Cacaolat leads in Spain, with relevant brand-extension and licensing benchmarks.
Emerging players
- Alpro (Danone): European plant-based beverage leader; competes directly with the newly launched Cacaolat Bebida Vegetal (oat & cocoa) and is the most relevant benchmark for Cacaolat's plant-based growth thesis.
Regional players
- Kaiku: Basque/Spanish regional dairy brand with flavored and functional milk offerings; competes with Cacaolat within northern Spain and serves as a useful regional benchmark for distribution and pricing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cacaolat social profiles
Digital presenceCacaolat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cacaolat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cacaolat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cacaolat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cacaolat
What does Cacaolat do?
Cacaolat manufactures and sells ready-to-drink chocolate milk beverages and related dairy and plant-based drinks under the Cacaolat brand. The flagship product uses a secret formula created in 1933 that has remained unchanged, and the portfolio spans original, fat-free, lactose-free, protein-enriched, coffee-flavored, plant-based, and powder-format variants sold primarily in Spain.
Is Cacaolat a public or private company?
Cacaolat is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Cacaolat founded?
Cacaolat was founded in 1933. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cacaolat based?
Cacaolat is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
Who are Cacaolat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ColaCao and Puleva. Broad incumbents are Pascual, Central Lechera Asturiana, Nestlé (Nesquik), Danone, Lactalis and The Hershey Company. Alpro (Danone) is listed as an emerging player. Kaiku is listed as a regional player.
Does Cacaolat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cacaolat.
What industry is Cacaolat in?
Cacaolat's product category is Chocolate Milk Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAHAIAA, Flavored & Sweetened Milk Drinks (Chocolate/Strawberry, Malted Milk), with a secondary code of AFAFAEAA, Fluid Milk & Cream Beverages (Whole/Skim, Half-and-Half). Its NAICS code is 31151 and its SIC code is 2020.