Grandson of Reese's Inventor Accuses Hershey of Cutting Corners

Brad Reese claims Hershey has replaced key ingredients in Reese's products, hurting the brand's quality and trust.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The grandson of H.B. Reese, the inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, has accused The Hershey Company of replacing milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut crème in many Reese's products. Brad Reese says these changes have hurt the quality and trust of the iconic Reese's brand.

Why it matters

The Reese's brand is one of Hershey's most valuable and recognizable products. Any perceived decline in quality or deviation from the original recipe could damage consumer trust and the brand's reputation, especially given the Reese family's long history with the product.

The details

Brad Reese, 70, claims Hershey has made recipe changes to multiple Reese's products in recent years, including replacing milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut crème. He says these changes make the products 'not edible' compared to the original Reese's Peanut Butter Cups he grew up with. Hershey acknowledges some recipe adjustments to allow for new product innovations, but says the core Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are still made the same way with milk chocolate and peanut butter.

  • In the early 2000s, Hershey released White Reese's made with white chocolate, but now they are made with white crème.
  • Reese's Take5 and Fast Break bars used to be coated in milk chocolate, but now they are not.

The players

Brad Reese

The 70-year-old grandson of H.B. Reese, the inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

H.B. Reese

The inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, who worked at Hershey for two years before starting his own candy company in 1919.

The Hershey Company

The major chocolate and confectionery company that acquired H.B. Reese's candy company in 1963.

Steven Voskuil

The Chief Financial Officer of The Hershey Company.

Milton Hershey

The founder of The Hershey Company, known for the quote 'Give them quality, that's the best advertising.'

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What they’re saying

“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 (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese's trust in the first place?”

— Brad Reese, Grandson of Reese's Inventor (LinkedIn)

“It was not edible. You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese's product every day. This is very devastating for me.”

— Brad Reese, Grandson of Reese's Inventor (The Associated Press)

“I would say in all the changes that we've made thus far, there has been no consumer impact whatsoever. As you can imagine, even on the smallest brand in the portfolio, if we were to make a change, there's extensive consumer testing.”

— Steven Voskuil, Chief Financial Officer, The Hershey Company (Conference Call)

“Give them quality, that's the best advertising.”

— Milton Hershey (Hershey Founder)

What’s next

Hershey has said it will carefully consider Brad Reese's concerns about changes to Reese's recipes and the potential impact on the brand's quality and consumer trust.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the delicate balance companies must strike between innovation and preserving the core qualities that made their iconic brands successful in the first place. Hershey will need to carefully weigh consumer feedback against business pressures to maintain Reese's reputation for quality and authenticity.