> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thechocolatelife.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A Chat With Brad Reese | #PSC 240 - URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/pinned/a-chat-with-brad-reese-psc-240/ - Published: 2026-10-26T18:15:33.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T21:34:36.000Z - Description: OVERVIEW: Episode 240 of #PodSaveChocolate takes a look at one of THE most iconic chocolate candies in the US, from the perspective of the grandson of the inventor: as chocolate recipes under price pressure, what can consumers do to push back? - Author: Clay Gordon - Tags: PodSaveChocolate, Live Stream, #Pinned ### **Timing and Links to Watch & Comment** 🗓️ This stream begins at 10:00 ****MST** (10:00 P****D**T, 11:00 M****D**T, 12:00 C****D**T, 1:00 pm E****D**T) on Tuesday, October 27th, 2026. Links below to watch LIVE and to view the archived episode. This ****YOUTUBE** link is shareable. [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/11/ytlogo256x256.png)](https://youtube.com/live/c4QsGVNDR68?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode! Subscribe (free!) to the [@PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@podsavechocolate/featured?ref=thechocolatelife.com), like this video, comment, and ****share** this episode to help grow the #PSC community. [Participate/Watch on YouTube ](https://youtube.com/live/c4QsGVNDR68?ref=thechocolatelife.com) This ****LINKEDIN** link is shareable. [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/05/LinkedInLogo.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Fpodsavechocolate-lavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-ugcPost-7520545061772750848-SIUI/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAABaLUB44l0lzyoZ9nf9Lg8nfstgzLqxbg) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on LinkedIn. Join my network on LinkedIn to receive notifications and to refer business to each other. [Participate/Watch on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Fpodsavechocolate-lavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-ugcPost-7520545061772750848-SIUI/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAABaLUB44l0lzyoZ9nf9Lg8nfstgzLqxbg) This ****FACEBOOK** link is shareable [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/05/FacebookLogo.png)](https://www.facebook.com/share/1JxJzDaXhu/) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on ****TheChocolateLife page** on Facebook (for 30 days, then watch the archive on YouTube). Follow [TheChocolateLife on Facebook ](https://fb.me/thechocolatelife?ref=thechocolatelife.com)to receive notifications and catch up on other content. [Participate/Watch on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/share/1JxJzDaXhu/) --- ## **Episode 240** What***ever*** has happened to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? The flippant answer is Hershey, but a closer look reveals something far more insidious: the slow change – and not in a good way – of the childhood favorites we love. ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/10/heroNYMagArticleScreenshot.jpg) The article that inspired this chat, and next week’s interview with the author. [To read the full article, sign up for a free trial](https://www.grubstreet.com/article/chocolate-hersheys-reeses-conspiracy.html?ref=thechocolatelife.com). Perhaps no other iconic chocolate candy has received more public scrutiny than the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Created by H. B. Reese in 1928 (though there is evidence the company had a factory making them by 1926), the son of the founder sold the company to Hershey in 1963. [Google Search![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-ee72438d-6d2b-4cc6-8894-9798e058a1cc.ico)](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&tbm=nws&q=%22reese%27s+peanut+butter+cups%22+-instacart&spell=1&sa=X&ref=thechocolatelife.com) A Google News search 60 years later, the world of chocolate is under increasing pressure as the price of cocoa remain at roughly 2x the historical average over the past decade (but well below the inflation-adjusted price). The increase in the price of cocoa has led Big Chocolate companies to pursue a number of strategies to control costs. Chief among them are to: - Reduce the size without lowering the price - Reformulate with cheaper ingredients We’ve seen this playbook before, and even prestige brands are not immune from pressure to maintain margins. Godiva, purchased in the early 1970s by the Campbell Soup Company (now The Campbell’s Company). Under corporate pressure to maintain earnings and other KPIs, the recipes changed. While any one change (saving fractions of a penny per piece over millions of pieces adds up) might not be detectable, dozens or hundreds of changes over the course of years can, and will. Recently, there has been consumer pushback about changes to the beloved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – and who better to talk with about the controversy than Brad Reese, a grandson of the inventory, who’s been a vocal critic of Hershey’s stewardship of the brand? --- ### **Support our Change.org petition** [Sign the PetitionTell the FDA: Say No To Cocoa-Free Chocolate![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-48x48-571d151c-1995-49bf-9d77-dbe211303c89.png)Change.org![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/PxOvUVjtGxaQNGf-1600x900-noPad-4537e60b-3621-4e7c-bf08-7a1eba65cec3.jpg)](https://www.change.org/p/tell-the-fda-say-no-to-cocoa-free-chocolate?ref=thechocolatelife.com) --- ### **Just For Fun** ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/10/reesesPbCup_painterlyCroppedLarge.jpg) I wanted to suggest an inchoate, slightly oozy, aspect to the PB center of this image. --- ### **Future Episodes** 🗒️ ****Friday, October 30th** What you need to know about the new Non-UPF certification 🗒️ ****Tuesday, November 3rd** A chat with Rachel Handler, the author of the NY Magazine article: The Chocolate Conspiracy. --- ### **Episode Hashtags** #cocoa #cacao #cacau #chocolate #chocolat #PodSaveChoc #PSC #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife --- ### **#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives** **To read an archived post** and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards below. [Pod Save Chocolate Calendar and ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate!![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/11/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080-5.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/pod-save-chocolate-calendar-and-archive/) Episodes 201-300 (links to older PSC archives are in the top nav). [#TheChocolateLifeLIVE ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/03/solen-feyissa-WG7v_wYZW4Q-unsplash-CalendarFeatured1920x1080.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/thechocolatelife-live-calendar/) ⁉️ After a year-long+ experiment, the audio-only versions of PodSaveChocolate episodes have been taken down after an end-of-year review. There were not enough listens to continue uploading episodes and paying for hosting. ## Not a Member? Live The Chocolate Life – Live La Vida Cocoa! Sign up for ****Free** to comment and receive members-only content. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Premium subscriptions available. ---