Family Voice Challenges Corporate Recipe (Image Credits: Upload.wikimedia.org)
A pointed critique from the grandson of peanut butter cup inventor H.B. Reese has ignited fierce debate about the future of the beloved treat under Hershey’s ownership.
Family Voice Challenges Corporate Recipe
Brad Reese, grandson of the man who dreamed up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928, unleashed a viral LinkedIn post on Valentine’s Day that cut straight to the heart of the brand’s identity.
He accused Hershey of substituting “compound coatings” for genuine milk chocolate and “peanut-butter-style crèmes” for real peanut butter in many products. Reese questioned how the company could uphold Reese’s as a hallmark of quality while altering the core duo of ingredients that built its reputation. His grandfather founded the company in 1919, and his sons sold it to Hershey in 1963. Now, decades later, Reese demanded accountability for what he saw as a betrayal of that legacy.
Hershey Pushes Back on Quality Claims
Hershey responded swiftly to the uproar, insisting in a statement to Fast Company that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups remained crafted from milk chocolate and peanut butter just as always.
The company explained that recipe tweaks supported an expanding lineup of shapes, sizes, and innovations cherished by fans. These changes preserved the essential blend of chocolate and peanut butter, according to Hershey. Still, the defense did little to quiet skeptics who pointed to specific product labels as evidence otherwise.
Social Media Floods with Fan Frustrations
Consumers rallied behind Reese’s claims online, sharing stories of a noticeable downturn in taste that mirrored his concerns.
One user described halting consumption after Halloween treats turned “mad nasty,” with off chocolate and grainy peanut butter. Others noted children rejecting standard sizes in favor of miniatures, suspecting stale batches at first. Posts lamented the shift, with some invoking “enshittification” to capture the slow degradation of once-reliable favorites. Agreement poured in, as voices like Jessica Smetana declared they had complained for years without belief.
- Chocolate tastes artificial and waxy
- Peanut butter filling feels gritty and unnatural
- Only certain sizes, like miniatures, hold up
- New shapes disappoint most
- Overall quality evokes nostalgia for the past
Packaging and Personal Taste Test Fuel the Fire
Reese bolstered his argument with a direct encounter, sampling Valentine’s Day Reese’s Mini Hearts only to discard the bag as inedible.
The product’s packaging listed “chocolate candy” and “peanut butter creme,” confirming his suspicions in an Associated Press interview. Once a daily devotee, Reese called the change devastating. He invoked Hershey founder Milton Hershey’s mantra: “Give them quality, that’s the best advertising.” Innovation deserved pursuit, he conceded, but only alongside unwavering standards. His full remarks to the AP amplified the call originally shared in his LinkedIn post.
Key Takeaways
- Brad Reese highlights swaps to compound coatings and peanut butter-style crèmes in newer Reese’s varieties.
- Hershey maintains core products use traditional milk chocolate and peanut butter.
- Fans widely report grittier fillings and inferior chocolate, backing the family critique.
This clash underscores a timeless tension between heritage recipes and mass-market evolution, leaving loyalists to wonder if their guilty pleasure can reclaim its throne. Will Hershey heed the founder’s kin, or stick to its innovation path? Share your Reese’s experiences in the comments.