The heir to the creator of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has criticized The Hershey Co., alleging that the candy giant has compromised the Reese’s brand by substituting pricier ingredients with cheaper alternatives in various products. Hershey has acknowledged making some alterations to recipes, citing efforts to cater to evolving consumer preferences and cope with soaring cocoa prices, which have prompted experimentation with reducing chocolate content.
In a letter dated Feb. 14 to Hershey’s corporate brand manager, Brad Reese, aged 70, called out the company for swapping milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut creme in multiple Reese’s items. He questioned how Hershey could maintain Reese’s legacy as a trusted, high-quality, and innovative brand while discreetly replacing the very foundational ingredients of milk chocolate and peanut butter that established Reese’s reputation.
The grandson of H.B. Reese, the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928, Brad Reese expressed disappointment with the recent changes, emphasizing the significance of maintaining the original essence of the brand. Hershey, however, clarified that its Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups still consist of milk chocolate and homemade peanut butter crafted from roasted peanuts, sugar, salt, and a few other ingredients, while conceding that ingredient variations exist across some Reese’s products.
Despite Hershey’s reassurance that the core elements of Reese’s remain unchanged, Brad Reese highlighted instances where recipes had been altered, such as the transition from milk chocolate coatings to creme in products like Reese’s Take5 and Fast Break bars. He also noted differences in European versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which were advertised as having a “milk chocolate-flavored coating and peanut butter creme” on a British supermarket’s website, contradicting Hershey’s claim of uniformity in recipes across regions.
While Hershey’s Chief Financial Officer mentioned formula adjustments during an investor call without specifying the products affected, Brad Reese emphasized the importance of maintaining product quality in any innovation endeavors, citing a famous quote from Milton Hershey, the company’s founder. Reese stressed the need for quality-driven innovation, stating that consumer feedback indicates a perceived decline in the taste of Reese’s products over time.