'It Was Not Edible': Hershey Accused Of Cutting Corners By Reese's Cups Inventor's Grandson

It's common to hear people complain that candy doesn't taste the way it once did. However, when it comes from someone with one of the most famous last names in the world of sweets, it's an even more notable indictment. Brad Reese — the grandson of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups inventor, Harry Burnett Reese — recently made his thoughts known about what has become of his grandfather's creation in recent years. The 70-year-old called out The Hershey Co. in an open letter to its corporate team for diminishing the quality and brand of his family's recipe. He accused the company of replacing chocolate and peanut butter with substitutes to lower production costs, among other things.

In the letter — published on Reese's LinkedIn page — he said, "... Reese's identity is being rewritten, 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. ... As the grandson of the man who created Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I'm not asking for nostalgia. I'm asking for alignment." 

Reese reiterated those strong attacks in a follow-up interview with The Associated Press, noting that he had thrown away a bag of Reese's Mini Hearts that was released for Valentine's Day, and that he could notice the differences in taste better than almost anyone else. "It was not edible," Reese lamented. "You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese's product every day. This is very devastating for me."

Now, these remarks from Brad Reese aren't particularly surprising, with many fans noticing a similar decline in quality, even as prices of Hershey-branded candy continue to rise. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is also one of the many snacks that have suffered from shrinkflation over the past few decades, making it feel like you're getting less bang for your buck. 

Nevertheless, Hershey was quick to push back against Brad Reese's criticism, outright denying claims that they no longer use chocolate and peanut butter as their core ingredients. "Our iconic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been," Hershey responded, before conceding that, while some minor changes are made when necessary, the company is, "always protecting the essence of what makes Reese's unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter."

While it's important to note that this decline that many are noting online isn't likely due to Hershey's purchase of Reese's — which took place more than 60 years ago — it is yet another instance of frustration launched at Hershey for its recent shortcomings in candy quality.