To Placate Palates of Chocoholics, Reese's to Revert to Retro Recipes

If the Easter Bunny filled your basket with treats from Reese’s this year, you might notice they don’t taste quite as good as they used to. And you wouldn’t be alone. But the backlash to Reese’s new taste has been so intense that Hershey agreed to go back to the basics. Hershey owns the Reese's brand.     

Cocoa prices have surged in recent years. The price spike has mostly been due to changes in weather patterns from climate change and supply chain issues. To combat the higher prices, confectioners at Hershey decided to switch out the milk chocolate and peanut butter in some of their treats for cheaper blends. That caught the attention of Brad Reese. He's the grandson of H.B. Reese, who invented the Peanut Butter Cup in 1928. Hershey bought Reese’s company in 1963. It has used the same recipe until now. Brad Reese spoke out against the change.      

“How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand ... while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?” Reese wrote in an open letter to Hershey.  

In response, Hershey said that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups still contain real peanut butter and milk chocolate. It also admitted that it had started using chocolate substitutes in some of its other treats. That includes Easter candy.     

Hershey’s issued an apology. It vowed to return all Reese’s candies to their original recipes by 2027. They also promised to increase their research and development budget by 25% next year.    

Reflect: What makes something feel high quality to you, and how do you notice when that quality changes?

Gif of Reese’s cups from Giphy.