Legacy at a Crossroads: Grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Inventor Accuses Hershey of “Cutting Corners” on Iconic Recipe
For generations, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have been more than just a sweet treat — they’ve been a symbol of American nostalgia, family tradition and classic chocolate-and-peanut-butter perfection. But now, a public family dispute has put that legacy in the spotlight and rekindled a bitter debate about ingredient quality, corporate decisions and what it means when a beloved brand changes its recipe.
In an open letter posted on LinkedIn, Brad Reese, the 70-year-old grandson of H.B. Reese — the Pennsylvania chocolatier who invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928 — accused The Hershey Company of quietly replacing original ingredients in several Reese’s products with cheaper alternatives. His words have reignited consumer emotions, stirred online food debates and raised deep questions about brand identity and trust in a cherished American favorite.
From Humble Beginnings to Candy Icon
To understand the emotional weight of this dispute, it helps to know the history behind the candy. H.B. Reese was a dairy farmer and former Hershey employee who set out on his own after leaving the chocolate giant. In 1928, he invented the peanut butter cup — a simple combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter that quickly captured hearts across the country. The business became so successful that Reese’s family later sold the H.B. Reese Candy Company to The Hershey Company in 1963.
Over the decades, Reese’s grew into one of America’s most popular candies — a go-to snack for children and adults alike, celebrated for its nostalgic taste and iconic orange packaging. Millions grew up unwrapping its classic combination of creamy peanut butter and rich milk chocolate, a flavor duo that seemed as timeless as apple pie.
The Letter That Sparked a Stir
On Feb. 14, 2026, Brad Reese posted an emotional letter addressed to Hershey’s corporate brand manager, laying out his concerns in plain language. He claimed that Hershey has been replacing key ingredients in multiple Reese’s products — including milk chocolate with “compound coatings” and real peanut butter with “peanut butter-style crème.”
“My grandfather built Reese’s on a simple, enduring architecture: milk chocolate + peanut butter,” Reese wrote. “How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand — a symbol of trust, quality and leadership — while quietly replacing the very ingredients that built Reese’s trust in the first place?”
He spoke from personal experience, recounting how he recently threw out a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts — a new Valentine’s Day-themed product whose packaging labels it as made with “chocolate candy and peanut butter crème” rather than traditional milk chocolate and peanut butter, leaving him disappointed and saying, “It was not edible.”
For many readers familiar with Reese’s since childhood, this isn’t just a corporate disagreement — it feels like a deeper emotional loss of a trusted comfort food’s very soul.
Hershey’s Response: Tradition Meets Innovation?
The Hershey Company quickly responded to the criticism, acknowledging that some recipe adjustments have been made over the years. The candy maker insisted that core Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are still made with milk chocolate and peanut butter — crafted from fresh roasted peanuts and simple ingredients like sugar and salt — and said recipe variations are part of expanding the Reese’s lineup into new shapes, sizes and flavors.
“Hershey says its iconic candy — the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup — remains made the same way it always has been,” Hershey said in a statement. The company emphasized that protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special — the perfect chocolate-peanut butter combo — is central to their products.
But critics argue that ingredient changes in newer variations — and possibly even in classic iterations internationally — have affected the brand’s taste and identity, leaving longtime fans feeling that the candy no longer tastes the same. Social media users and Reddit threads have lit up with personal anecdotes about changes in texture, flavor and quality.
Beyond a Family Dispute: What Consumers Are Saying
This isn’t just a story about one family and one company — it taps into a broader conversation many Americans are having about food quality, corporate transparency and nostalgia.
Many consumers have noticed changes in their favorite snacks in recent years, often blaming ingredient substitutes, cost-cutting measures or shifts in manufacturing. The debate around Reese’s became more public when online creator MrBeast even weighed in, using the moment to promote his own chocolate brand by highlighting that his products use “real peanut butter just like you’d find in a jar.”
For some, the argument represents a growing divide between processed convenience and authentic, simple ingredients — and a reminder of how powerful brand legacies can be in American culture.
A Legacy in Question
For Brad Reese, the issue isn’t just about flavor; it’s about honoring a family legacy and preserving the integrity of a beloved brand. Though his family sold the business decades ago, he has remained an informal ambassador for the candy and says his public comments come from a deep personal connection and long-held affection for the product his grandfather created.
“It’s devastating for me,” he told reporters when recalling his reaction to products he felt no longer lived up to the candy’s original promise. His comments have resonated with many consumers who grew up with Reese’s and mourn the feeling that something familiar and comforting might be slipping away.
Why This Matters
The Reese’s saga isn’t simply about whether peanut butter cups should taste one way or another — it highlights a central tension in modern consumer culture:
- Tradition vs. innovation — balancing new flavors with original recipes
- Quality vs. cost cutting — how companies adjust to economic pressures
- Brand identity vs. market expansion — meeting consumer demand without losing trust
And perhaps most importantly, it shows how much food can be tied to memory, identity and personal history — whether it’s a treat from childhood, a holiday favorite, or a snack shared with loved ones.
