February 19, 2026
For nearly a century, chocolate and peanut butter have come together in what we and consumers around the world consider to be perfection. What many don’t see is where that consistent flavor and experience is crafted every single day: on the factory floor in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Reese’s cups are still made the same way that has defined the brand from the very beginning.
A Lasting Legacy: The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
The Reese’s story began with H.B. Reese, who came to Hershey in 1917 as a dairy farmer working for Milton S. Hershey. Inspired by Mr. Hershey’s business, he began making peanut butter coated in chocolate, sourcing chocolate directly from his previous employer. Reese promoted this connection. Each Peanut Butter Cup package carried the banner: “Made in Chocolate Town – So They Must Be Good.”
That commitment to simplicity and quality didn’t end with a founder. When Reese’s six sons chose to sell the company to Hershey in 1963, it was a decision rooted in trust: trust that the brand would be cared for in the same place, and in the same spirit, it was built – right here in “Chocolate Town,” or as we call it, The Sweetest Place on Earth.
Today, that spirit and trust live on. We share consumers' passion for the flavorful combination of chocolate and peanut butter, and we take deep pride in making high-quality products they love and deserve — kept accessible and affordable so everyone can enjoy them.
“I wish your cameras could share the scent of what we get to experience,” Jon Corbin, the Business Unit Manager for Reese Chocolate Production shared with local CBS affiliate CBS21 news. “The way we make that peanut butter, I would love to eat it right off the line if I could, because that recipe is the same in all the facilities where we make Peanut Butter Cups.”
Extending H.B. Reese’s Vision
The Reese’s brand is loved by people around the world and we continue to invest in it and our Hershey, Pennsylvania facilities. In April 2025, we celebrated the opening of the Reese Chocolate Processing facility, a name selected by our manufacturing employees in honor of H.B. Reese. The plant is the first manufacturing facility built in our hometown in more than 30 years.
By listening to consumers, we've grown and expanded the Reese’s product line to meet a wide range of needs and preferences. Our recipe development ensures that every innovation, new shape, or size delivers consistent quality and great taste — with every ingredient playing a deliberate role. The result is a broad offering of choices that lets more people enjoy Reese’s in the way that's right for them.
The People Who Make the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Possible
Behind every Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is a workforce dedicated to the great care, attention, and safety that goes into making great-tasting, high-quality products. From roasting fresh peanuts on site to crafting our one-of-a-kind peanut cup butter and pairing it with milk chocolate, the people behind the candy have upheld that standard the same way they always have.
Brands like Reese’s endure when employees understand they are guardians of something bigger than a single shift or product run. The Hershey culture is the invisible ingredient that keeps quality consistent over decades — and in this case, over more than a century. Whether it's a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup shared across a kitchen table or the excitement of spotting that unmistakable orange wrapper at Halloween, the moments may change but what goes into every Cup does not. And it's the people behind the peanut butter and chocolate who make sure it stays that way.
Has The Hershey Company changed the iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup?
No. We make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups the same way we always have, using a one-of-a-kind peanut cup butter that is combined with iconic milk chocolate.
How have Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups changed?
We have always protected the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special. When developing new product lines, we have made some recipe adjustments to allow us to make new shapes, sizes, and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for.
Is the Reese family still connected to the Reese’s brand?
No. In 1963, the Reese family sold the brand to The Hershey Company. We’ve been caring for the brand ever since, creating iconic and beloved products, including the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, seasonal shapes, and our latest innovation, Reese’s OREO Cup.
Do different Reese’s plants or facilities have different Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup recipes?
All Reese’s facilities use the same iconic cup recipe to create the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate.