WHERE’S THE CHOCOLATE?

Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker

Each time we go shopping, we see lots of items for the upcoming holiday. It seemed as if Christmas was just over, when Valentine’s Day merchandise arrived. Then came St Patrick’s Day and the green items we buy to celebrate and the day isn’t quite here yet.

Now there is Easter baskets, decorations, peeps, chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and so many of the treats that I love lining the shelves.  My kids and I love the Cadbury eggs with that creamy filling, coconut eggs, and oh yes the peanut butter ones. Yum, I hope I get a basket.

I just read, and maybe you did too, that the company that makes peanut butter eggs (Reese’s) is cutting back on their delicious chocolate covering. The Hershey Company makes Reese’s Peanut butter cups after purchasing the company in 1963. Brad Reese, grandson of the inventor of Reese’s peanut butter cups, bought a bag of the Reese’s chocolate hearts for Valentines Day. His mouth was prepared to taste the creamy peanut butter and the good chocolate coating on Grandpas Reese’s brand.

Brad took one bite and spit it out saying, “It was not edible. I used to eat a Reese’s product every day, and this is very devastating for me. In his quest for information, he learned that Hershey’s was using and replacing the milk chocolate with a compound coating and peanut butter with a peanut butter like cream to save money. A new word was created called skimpflation.

Disgusted, Brad launched a campaign against Hershey’s. His grandfather had started the company in 1928 and the Reese’s still cared about the brand. He also revamped his website saying “Brad Reese Protecting Reese’s Brand Integrity.”

I always buy Reese’s eggs for Easter and I wish we could taste them before buying. For the benefit of the doubt, cocoa beans comes from Africa and weather-related issues has disrupted the growing of cocoa beans. 

I remember way back when the 5 and 10 Stores were open you could go in and buy a big chocolate Easter egg with your name on it. I don’t think they had peanut butter ones, but they were really good.

I sure am not picking on the Hershey Company, but I do like my peanut butter cups. Now, do you like Easter Candy?  I could eat one right now and hopefully they will let the Easter bunny bring those good Reese’s peanut butter eggs. Do you make up Easter Baskets and what is your favorite kind of Easter candy? Let me know and I’ll give you a Penny For Your Thoughts.