The grandson of H. B. Reese, inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, is speaking out after accusing The Hershey Company of changing his late grandfather’s beloved candy recipe.
Brad Reese said he was stunned recently after consuming some limited‑edition Valentine’s Reese’s Mini Hearts, which he claimed tasted “off,” prompting him to read the ingredient list.
Reese said he found that some seasonal or specialty Reese’s items were labeled as “chocolate candy” with “peanut butter creme” rather than the brand’s original milk chocolate and peanut butter formula.
“I’ve been around Reese’s my whole life — I never thought I had to look at the package to see what I was getting,” he said, calling the iconic chocolate and peanut butter candy a “real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century.”
Reese subsequently wrote an open letter to The Hershey Company, which was shared on his LinkedIn page, cautioning that altering even select items could put the centurylong bond with consumers at risk.
The Hershey Company responded and acknowledged that some of its Reese’s products have changed but stressed that the traditional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have not.
“When developing new product lines, we have made some recipe adjustments to allow us to make new shapes, sizes, and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for,” the company said in a statement.
It added, “We make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups the same way we always have, using a one-of-a-kind peanut cup butter that is combined with iconic milk chocolate.”
Speaking with ABC’s Good Morning America this week, Reese advised customers to look for milk chocolate and peanut butter in the ingredients list, rather than substitutes like chocolate candy and peanut butter creme, if they are fans of the original recipe.