Grandson of Reese’s inventor says Hershey’s 2027 recipe fix is ‘a stall’-and there’s a family feud

Key Points:

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, invented nearly a century ago by H.B. Reese, remain Hershey’s flagship product, generating about $3 billion annually and accounting for roughly a quarter of the company’s sales.
• Brad Reese, H.B. Reese’s grandson, has publicly accused Hershey of cheapening the candy by altering recipes, particularly criticizing changes to Valentine’s Day and seasonal Reese’s products that replaced milk chocolate with lower-cost chocolate candy coatings.
• Hershey acknowledges recipe changes in some Reese’s product extensions but insists the classic cups remain unchanged and plans to revert all products to original recipes by 2027, attributing changes to supply challenges and prior management decisions.
• The Reese family is divided, with some members supporting Hershey’s stewardship of the brand and dismissing Brad Reese’s claims as uninformed, highlighting the complexities of modern candy manufacturing and brand evolution.
• Hershey faces broader challenges with rising candy prices and declining Halloween sales, while Brad Reese continues to criticize the company’s strategy and promotes competitors, emphasizing his commitment to preserving his grandfather’s legacy.