In the Sarajevo neighborhood of Stup there was once a confectionery factory called Sarabon. The most famous product made there was the rice chocolate Sayonara. However, today nothing remains of the factory except ruins where waste is now disposed of. Although the attractive land on which the factory stood was offered for sale, no buyer was ultimately found.
Sarajevo once had many factories, most of which were located in industrial zones. One of these industrial zones was in the Stup neighborhood. Among several factories there was also Zora-Sarabon, a confectionery factory operating within the company United Agriculture, Trade and Industry Sarajevo (UPI).
The most famous brand of the company was the rice chocolate Sayonara, but it also produced a variety of other products, ranging from chocolate-covered banana foam sweets and jelly candies to filled chocolates and chocolate spreads.
Today only memories and preserved packaging remain as proof that this company once existed.
Today Only Ruins Remain at the Sarabon Site
Nothing remains of the scent of chocolate and its production in Stup. At one time, right at the entrance to the factory there was a discount shop where the aforementioned products could be purchased at factory prices. Today, however, those are only memories for generations who were born a few years after the 1990s.
Sarabon Today
Although Zora-Sarabon suffered damage during the war, it restarted production after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. However, difficult times for the company came after privatization, which Sarabon unfortunately did not survive. Production stopped, the facilities were later destroyed, and today the site has effectively turned into a dumping ground.
Sarabon was also the subject of investigations by judicial authorities, but there were no convictions.
In the end, Sarabon’s assets were offered for sale through an auction at the Municipal Court in Sarajevo for 23.5 million BAM, but there were no buyers.
The total area of Sarabon’s land, covering 23,955 square meters, is now considered attractive for new residential and commercial development, while the company itself remains only a subject of memories and nostalgia, N1 writes.
