Liking

What Liking does

Liking S.p.A. is an Italian confectionery manufacturer headquartered in San Martino di Lupari, in the province of Padova (Veneto region), operating a single production facility that has been run by four generations of the founding Corna family since 1910. The company produces toffees, hard and filled candies, gelatin-based gummies, tablet-style candies, organic-certified candies, a stevia-sweetened "beneficial" line, and a Premium tier, all positioned as Made in Italy and gluten-free using corn starch as thickener. Production protocols carry IFS Food, Halal Italia, Kosher, and Organic/Bio certifications, expanding the addressable consumer base to Muslim, Jewish, organic, and celiac segments.

The business operates as a B2B confectionery manufacturer combining a branded product portfolio with a full-service private label offering — from custom recipe development to finished packaged product within a stated 40-day turnaround — supplied to retailers, distributors, and brand owners in pack sizes ranging from 40g to 1kg. Go-to-market relies on direct B2B engagement via phone and email, a bilingual corporate website (liking.it in Italian and English), and a company-operated magazine and trade publication presence. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with a contract manufacturing model. Liking S.p.A. is a privately held Italian società per azioni with no disclosed institutional investors, subsidiaries, parent entities, or public listing.

Name

Liking

Legal name

Liking S.p.A.

Website

https://liking.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liking S.p.A. is a four-generation Italian confectionery manufacturer in San Martino di Lupari producing toffees, hard candies, gummies, organic, stevia, and premium lines under its own brand and for private label retailers, certified IFS Food, Halal, Kosher, and Organic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Martino Di Lupari

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Liking is an Italian confectionery manufacturer that produces and sells candy products including toffees, hard candies, gelatines, and organic candies. The company operates a dual model: it manufactures private-label candy ranges for retailers, distributors, and brand owners (B2B), and it markets its own branded confectionery products to end consumers (B2C).

Product overview

Liking is an Italian confectionery company with over 100 years of history producing a diverse portfolio of candy products. Their offering consists of multiple product lines and categories: Linea effetto benefico (healthy candies with stevia), Linea Premium (premium confections), Toffees (soft caramel-style candies in various flavors), Caramelle dure e ripiene (hard and filled candies), Biologiche (certified organic candies without artificial additives), Compresse (tablet-style candies), Gelatine (gummy candies), and Drops e gommose (drops and gummies including Fructì, Aniseed, Menthol, Pine Drops, Mint, and Mini Blackberries). The company operates as a traditional food manufacturer offering both branded products and private label manufacturing services, with production from their facility in San Martino di Lupari, Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Toffees

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vidal Golosinas: Spanish private label confectionery manufacturer offering custom candy production including toffees, hard candies, jellies, and gummies for retailer brands across Europe. Closely comparable to Liking as a European private label confectionery manufacturer serving B2B retailer customers with a similar product mix and scale.
• Silesia: German confectionery manufacturer producing private label and branded candies including Cachou Lajaunie and licorice-based products. Comparable to Liking as a European private label confectionery manufacturer serving B2B retailer customers with traditional candy formats.
• Zentis: German manufacturer of fruit preparations, confectionery, and private label products serving B2B food industry customers. Comparable to Liking in private label confectionery manufacturing and B2B customer base, though with primary focus on fruit fillings, marmalades, and ingredient supply.

Broad incumbents

• Perfetti Van Melle: Italian-Dutch global confectionery company producing Mentos, Chupa Chups, Alpenliebe, and other major candy brands. Comparable to Liking in confectionery category overlap (toffees, hard candies, drops) but operates at vastly larger scale across global markets with significantly stronger brand equity.
• Ferrero: Italian global confectionery giant producing Kinder, Nutella, Tic Tac, and Ferrero Rocher. Comparable to Liking as an Italian confectionery manufacturer but operates at vastly larger scale with broader portfolio including chocolate, ice cream, and spreads.
• Haribo: German global gummy and soft candy leader producing Gold-Bears and other gelatin-based confections. Comparable to Liking in gummies and confectionery production but with vastly greater scale, mass-market brand awareness, and global distribution capabilities.
• Jelly Belly: US-based confectionery company known for jelly beans and gourmet candies with strong consumer brand recognition. Comparable to Liking in non-chocolate confectionery focus but with significantly stronger consumer brand awareness, broader product line, and larger North American distribution.
• Fazer: Finnish confectionery company producing candies, chocolates, and bakery products across Nordic and international markets. Comparable to Liking in traditional confectionery products but with much larger scale, broader product portfolio, and established brand recognition in Northern Europe.
• Cloetta: Swedish confectionery company producing toffees, pastilles, and gummies across Nordic and European markets. Comparable to Liking in non-chocolate confectionery focus and toffee/pastille product range, but operates at significantly larger scale with established consumer brands like Cloetta and Kex.

Emerging players

• Candy Kittens: UK-based gourmet vegan confectionery brand positioning toward health-conscious and plant-based consumers. Comparable to Liking in candy category with health-oriented positioning similar to Liking's Biologiche and Beneficial (stevia) lines, though operating as a consumer-facing brand rather than B2B manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liking-s.p.a.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liking