Brad Reese, the 70-year-old heir to the Reese’s chocolatier legacy, celebrates a major victory after challenging The Hershey Company over recipe changes in select products. Hershey announces plans to revert to original milk and dark chocolate formulations by 2027.

Hershey’s Recipe Reversion Announcement

The Hershey Company reveals it will restore classic recipes for certain Reese’s products, including a shift to creamier chocolate in Kit Kat bars. Spokesperson Allison Kleinfelter states the company aims to transition its sweet portfolio to colors from natural sources while ensuring Hershey’s and Reese’s offerings align with traditional milk and dark chocolate recipes.

“Hershey commits to making products consumers love, which means continually reviewing recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences,” the company statement declares. It emphasizes that core recipes for Hershey’s chocolate bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups remain unchanged.

Brad Reese’s Fierce Campaign

The announcement follows Reese’s open letter to Todd Scott, Hershey’s manager of corporate brand and editorial, dated February 14. Reese questions how the company can uphold the Reese’s brand while replacing key ingredients like milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with cremes in various products.

“My grandfather, H.B. Reese, 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,” Reese writes.

He urges Scott to position Reese’s as a flagship symbol of trust and quality, framing the issue as one of brand governance rather than supply chain logistics. “This isn’t a supply chain question. It’s a brand governance question,” Reese asserts, warning that diverging narratives risk the legacy.

“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,” he concludes.

Context Behind the Changes

Hershey’s adjustments stemmed from rising cocoa prices, as acknowledged by Chief Financial Officer Steven Voskuil during an investor call. Voskuil notes the company preserved taste profiles through extensive consumer testing, with no noticeable impact on consumers.

The firm clarifies that most Reese’s items, including Peanut Butter Cups and classic shapes, already use original recipes. Only about three percent of the portfolio requires reversion, prompted by a 25% increase in research and development investment.

Kleinfelter adds that changes, set to begin in 2027, cover formulation, packaging, supply lines, and sourcing. The company planned these updates prior to Reese’s public critique, responding to shifting consumer preferences over time.

Reese’s Response to the News

Despite the announcement, Reese dismisses it as insufficient. “There’s no victory here. If they were serious, they would do it right away,” he states. Reese maintains that consumers have noticed diminished quality and advocates for innovation paired with unwavering standards.