Grandson of Reese’s founder raises concerns over alleged recipe changes

The grandson of the original creator of Reese’s peanut butter cups, Brad Reese, has found himself at the centre of a controversy over an alleged change to cheaper ingredients for the classic series, writes Neill Barston.

Notably, the issue has gained national prominence in the US, covered by networks including NBC, which has focused on claims that for European markets, the Hershey flagship brand has moved away from its time-honoured recipe in a bid to combat rising production costs – which the company has refuted is the case.

But according to Brad Reese, in an open letter to Hershey posted on Linkedin, he claimed that the US confectionery giant was “quietly replacing the very ingredients that built Reese’s trust in the first place,” asserting that in its UK and European market, Hershey had sought to find cheaper cocoa alternatives amid a major spike in crop prices over the past two years – which has now swung in the opposite direction.

Reese stated that one such line of the famed brand, Reese’s Mini hearts tasted significantly different from its classic recipe, to the point that he threw a purchase of the line out rather than consume them.

Posting on Linkedin, he expressed his concerns. He stated: “When a century‑old brand like Reese’s built on one sensory identity quietly introduces multiple formulations under the same name, “Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter” for some items, “chocolate candy and peanut butter creme” for others, that’s not innovation.

That’s Reese’s brand dilution. And when consumers have to inspect Reese’s fine print to know whether they’re getting the real thing, that’s not “Same Craft. Same Care. Same Reese’s.” That’s a breach of trust.

My grandfather-built Reese’s on a simple promise: You always know what you’re getting.”

Underlining his point, he identified the ingredients being used for UK and European distributed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which he noted was as follows- including ‘milk chocolate flavour coating,’ rather than actual milk chocolate.

UK Reese’s stated ingredients – Milk Chocolate Flavour Coating (52%)
Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Cocoa Mass; Skimmed Milk Powder; Milk Fat; Lactose (Milk); Emulsifiers: Soya Lecithin (E322), Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (E476) Peanut Butter Crème Centre (48%) Peanuts; Sugar*; Dextrose; Salt; Citric Acid (E330); TBHQ (E319) *Produced from genetically modified sugar beets and soya beans.

Reese’s UK ingredients. Pic: Brad Reese

As Brad Reese noted, this ‘was not the original Reese’s architecture, nor was it milk chocolate and peanut butter, rather a compound coating and creme system sold under Reese’s branding without disclosure – it remains unclear as to whether Hershey is set to make similar changes for its core US market that has gained a major core following with consumers.

Notably, Hershey recently shared a statement shared with NBC news network that asserted its US recipes had not been changed, though it did not comment on its European production.

It read: “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they have always been, starting with roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique, one-of-a-kind peanut butter that is then combined with milk chocolate.”

Confectionery Production has approached Hershey for further comment on the story.

The company responded that it had extended its portfolio, but its core lines remained true to its original product profile.

In an additional comment, the company said: ‘As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.’

‘We can confirm that our peanut butter cups made for the UK/ EU market are made the same way, using the same ingredients, as those made for the US.  The difference in the packaging occurs because labelling requirements differ by country.’