"Not edible": Grandson of Reese's inventor slams Hershey for altering peanut butter cup recipe
There's trouble brewing in chocolate land as Brad Reese, the grandson of the inventor of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, has lashed out at Hershey for tainting the brand.
An Open Letter to Todd Scott, Manager, Corporate Brand & Editorial at The Hershey Company Todd, As someone who has spent his career shaping narratives, elevating reputations and stewarding brand meaning, you understand better than most that a story only works when it is anchored in truth. That’s why I’m writing to you publicly today, Saturday, February 14, 2026 (Valentine's Day). My grandfather, H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S), built REESE’S on a simple, enduring architecture: Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Not a flavor idea. Not a marketing construct. A real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century. But today, 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. And here’s where your role, Todd, becomes central. You lead the corporate brand and editorial strategy for The Hershey Company. You shape the story the world hears. You are responsible for ensuring that what The Hershey Company says aligns with what The Hershey Company does. So, I have to ask: How does The Hershey Company 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? This isn’t a supply chain question. It’s a brand governance question. It’s about whether The Hershey Company's corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from REESE'S product reality. It’s about whether consumers are being asked to believe a story that no longer matches what’s inside the REESE'S orange wrapper. It’s about whether REESE'S, the world’s No. 1 chocolate brand, is being protected or diluted. Todd, you’ve built a career on the belief that "a good story is at the heart of any conversation." I agree. But a good story requires honesty, transparency and respect for the audience (REESE'S consumers). Right now, the REESE’S story is diverging from what's inside REESE’S products. And that divergence puts REESE'S and the legacy behind it, at risk. As the grandson of the man who created REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups, I’m not asking for nostalgia. I’m asking for alignment. For truth in REESE'S brand stewardship. For a corporate narrative from The Hershey Company that reflects the REESE'S product consumers are actually receiving. Because if REESE’S is going to remain the emotional equity anchor of The Hershey Company, then the story cannot be stronger than the ingredients. Todd, you are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap. I hope you will. Brad Reese Protecting REESE’S Brand Integrity Grandson of H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S) #Reeses #BrandStewardship #CorporateAccountability #IngredientIntegrity #ConsumerTrust #BrandGovernance #FoodTransparency #ReesesLegacy #HersheyCompany #TheHersheyCompany | 56 comments on LinkedIn
My grandfather, H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S), built REESE'S on a simple, enduring architecture: Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Not a flavor idea. Not a marketing construct. A real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century.
But today, 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.
Hershey maintained in a statement to CBS News that "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been."
More from Brad Reese.
How does The Hershey Company 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?
This isn't a supply chain question. It's a brand governance question. It's about whether The Hershey Company's corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from REESE'S product reality.
It's about whether consumers are being asked to believe a story that no longer matches what's inside the REESE'S orange wrapper.
It's about whether REESE'S, the world's No. 1 chocolate brand, is being protected or diluted.
If you're buying the Reese's eggs, the hearts, or other products, Brad wants you to know that you're just not getting the real thing.
Brad Reese said he thinks Hershey went too far. He said he recently threw out a bag of Reese's Mini Hearts, which were a new product released for Valentine's Day. The packaging notes that the heart-shaped candies are made from 'chocolate candy and peanut butter crème,' not milk chocolate and peanut butter.
'It was not edible,' Reese told The Associated Press in an interview. 'You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese's product every day. This is very devastating for me.'
A chocolate war for the ages!
I'll leave this here:
