The Complete Guide to Reese's in the UK
The Complete Guide to Reese's in the UK
Reese's is the biggest-selling confectionery brand in America, and it is not hard to see why. The combination of smooth milk chocolate and salty-sweet peanut butter has been irresistible since H.B. Reese first started selling Penny Cups from his Pennsylvania home in the 1920s. In the UK, demand for imported Reese's has grown steadily over the past decade — driven by social media, the growth of American candy retail, and a generation of snackers who grew up watching US TV and wondering what a Peanut Butter Cup actually tasted like.
But there is far more to Reese's than the classic cup. The range now spans dozens of products — cups in every size and chocolate variety, bars with caramel and pretzel layers, crispy thins, crunchy pieces, dipped pretzels, animal crackers, and collaboration formats with Chips Ahoy! and Oreo. This guide covers the complete Reese's range available in the UK, the story behind the brand, and what makes the US import different from the UK-made version.
H.B. Reese was a dairy farmer from Pennsylvania who worked for Milton Hershey before deciding to start his own candy business. He experimented with various confections through the 1920s, but his peanut butter cups became the standout product almost immediately. Originally called Penny Cups because they cost one cent each, they became so popular that Reese dropped every other product line to focus on them exclusively.
In 1963, the H.B. Reese Candy Company merged with Hershey's — turning a local Pennsylvania favourite into a national and eventually global phenomenon. Today Reese's generates over three billion dollars in annual revenue and accounts for nearly half of all seasonal confectionery sales in the US convenience channel. The brand's dominance in America is why UK customers seek out the imported version: it represents something that UK confectionery has never quite replicated — the specific chemistry of American chocolate and salty peanut butter. For more on how American and British chocolate differ, see our American sweets vs British sweets guide.
The Peanut Butter Cup is the heart of the Reese's range and the product that everything else extends from. The concept is simple: a ridged milk chocolate shell filled with a thick layer of slightly salty peanut butter. The balance between sweet chocolate and savoury filling is what makes it compelling. The original two-pack remains the core product, but the cup format has evolved significantly over the years.
The Big Cup scales everything up — thicker peanut butter layer, more pronounced filling ratio, single cup format for impulse purchase. The White Cup replaces milk chocolate with white creme, making the peanut butter taste even more prominent. The Big Cup King Size (Canadian) and Big Cup with Caramel add a liquid caramel layer alongside the peanut butter. The Chocolate Lava Big Cup takes the same concept in a different direction — a flowing chocolate centre alongside the peanut butter filling.
The PB & J Strawberry Big Cup is one of the most distinctive recent additions — peanut butter and strawberry jelly in a cup format, capturing one of America's most iconic flavour combinations. The Big Cup Marshmallow adds a marshmallow layer for a s'mores-adjacent experience. The Oreo collaboration formats (standard and miniature) combine Reese's peanut butter filling with crushed Oreo cookie pieces — two of America's biggest confectionery brands in one product.
Miniatures — bite-sized individually wrapped cups — are available in standard, sugar-free, dark chocolate (Canadian), and white chocolate (Canadian) formats, plus a large case for retailers and pick-and-mix operations. The Minis Changemakers pack is a large-format sharing bag. Browse the full cup range on the Reese's wholesale page.
Beyond the cups, Reese's makes a range of American chocolate bars that each bring a different texture and format to the peanut butter base. Nutrageous is loaded with whole roasted peanuts and covered in milk chocolate — crunchier and more savoury than the cups, and one of the most underrated products in the range. The UK-made Overload packs peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, and pretzel pieces into a milk chocolate shell, making it the most texturally complex bar in the lineup. Outrageous replaces the pretzels with Reese's Pieces candy for a sweeter, crunchier variation.
Sticks are crispy wafer layers with peanut butter coated in chocolate — lighter and crunchier than the other bars. Fast Break combines peanut butter, soft nougat, and caramel in milk chocolate for a chewier, more substantial bar. Take 5 — originally a standalone Hershey's product, now under the Reese's name — stacks five layers: pretzels, caramel, peanut butter, peanuts, and milk chocolate. If your customers like sweet-and-salty combinations, Take 5 is the bar to push.
The Giant Bar is the sharing and gifting format — a slab of milk chocolate filled with peanut butter, eye-catching on the shelf and priced as a premium item. The White Peanut Butter Bar extends the white chocolate variant into bar format. Crispy Crunchy King Size adds a peanut butter candy centre with crunchy peanuts and caramel for the most substantial bar in the range.
Reese's Thins are cup-shaped but around 40 per cent thinner than the original, with a higher chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio. They come in sharing bags and feel more snackable than the standard cups. The Milk Chocolate Thins are the closest to the original cup flavour in a lighter format. The White Chocolate Thins (currently sourced from Canada) appeal to customers who find the standard White Cup too rich. The Dark Chocolate Thins are the most grown-up product in the entire Reese's range — a slightly bitter chocolate shell paired with salty peanut butter, appealing to customers who normally find American candy too sweet.
Reese's Pieces — small peanut-butter-filled candies in a crunchy sugar shell — became famous after appearing in E.T., where they were used to lure the alien in one of cinema's most celebrated product placement moments. The full story of how Reese's Pieces ended up in the film is covered in our E.T. and Reese's Pieces blog. They remain one of the most recognisable products in the range. The bright orange, yellow, and brown colours make them visually striking in any display. Available in peg bags, share bags, and a large case, plus the Pieces Bark format and the Retro Theatre Box for impulse display.
The Dipped Pretzels coat crunchy pretzel pieces in Reese's peanut butter creme and milk chocolate — the salty-sweet-crunchy combination is one of the strongest cross-category lines in the range. Dipped Animal Crackers bring animal-shaped biscuits in the same peanut butter and chocolate coating. The Popped Snack Mix is a lighter format — popcorn, pretzels, and Reese's Pieces in a mixed snack bag. The Chips Ahoy! collaboration formats pair Reese's peanut butter cups with Chips Ahoy! cookies.
Not all Reese's products in the UK are identical. Some are imported directly from the US or Canada; others are manufactured in the UK under licence. The distinction matters — as we covered in our American sweets vs British sweets guide, American and British recipes produce noticeably different results.
US and Canadian imports use Hershey's original American chocolate, which has a tangier, slightly more acidic flavour and a grainier peanut butter filling. UK-made products use locally produced chocolate, which is smoother and milder with a creamier peanut butter. The difference comes down to chocolate regulations: EU and UK rules require milk chocolate to contain higher percentages of cocoa solids and milk fats than US rules, so the UK-made version uses a different formulation. Many customers prefer one version over the other. Stocking both gives you a wider price range and a reason for customers to trade up to the import version.
Reese's is one of the easiest American brands to build a section around because the range has natural display logic. The classic two-pack cup is the anchor — the product most customers recognise and the one most likely to convert a first-time buyer. The Big Cup and White Cup extend the range for customers who want variety within the cup format. The bars (Nutrageous, Take 5, Fast Break) appeal to customers who want more texture and complexity. The Thins and Pieces serve the sharing and snacking occasion.
Miniatures and Pieces in large case formats support pick-and-mix displays. The Dipped Pretzels and Popped Snack Mix extend Reese's into the savoury-sweet crossover category. The Giant Bar and Pieces Bark are the gifting and premium display pieces. For sharing bag formats and display advice, see our sharing bags wholesale guide. For a broader guide to building an American candy range, see our American candy wholesale buyer's guide.
Reese's is the number one searched-for American chocolate brand in the UK. Positioning it front and centre in your American candy section draws customers to the rest of the range. For a broader look at the most popular American candy in the UK right now, see our guide to the most popular American sweets in the UK.
Sweet and Glory stocks the complete Reese's wholesale range — cups in every format, bars, thins, pieces, dipped pretzels, snack mixes, and the full collaboration lineup. Browse the Reese's wholesale page for current availability, or explore the full American chocolate, American sweets, American drinks, and American snacks ranges. Create a free account to browse and order across more than 2,000 active lines.
No minimum order. Free first parcel on orders over £150 ex VAT (additional boxes £7.10 each). Free pallet delivery over £650 ex VAT. Dispatched from Manchester.
Are US and UK Reese's different? Yes — some Reese's products in the UK are US or Canadian imports, and some are made in the UK under licence. The imports use Hershey's original American chocolate, which is tangier with a grainier, saltier peanut butter; the UK-made versions use a smoother, milder chocolate. The main reason is regulation — EU and UK rules require milk chocolate to have higher cocoa and milk-fat content than US rules, so the UK formulation differs. Many fans prefer one over the other and buy both.
Why does American Reese's taste different from British chocolate? It comes down to the chocolate. American Reese's uses Hershey's chocolate, which has a slightly tangy, acidic note from the way the milk is processed, and the peanut butter is saltier and grainier than UK palates expect. Our guide to why American chocolate tastes different explains the science behind that distinctive flavour.
What is the difference between Reese's Cups, Thins and Big Cups? The classic Cup is the original ridged milk chocolate shell with a thick peanut butter layer. The Big Cup scales that up with a thicker filling in a single-cup format. Thins are around 40% thinner than the original with a higher chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio, sold in sharing bags for a lighter, more snackable format.
What are Reese's Pieces? Reese's Pieces are small peanut-butter-filled candies in a crunchy sugar shell — no chocolate. They became famous after featuring in E.T. and are visually striking in orange, yellow and brown. They're a different product from the chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and work well in sharing bags and theatre-box formats.
Where can I buy Reese's wholesale in the UK? Sweet and Glory stocks the complete Reese's range wholesale — cups, bars, thins, Pieces, dipped pretzels and the collaboration formats — with no minimum order and fast UK delivery. Create a free account to browse and order. Related guides: Reese's best-selling American chocolate · Hershey's complete UK guide · E.T. and Reese's Pieces story · Why American chocolate tastes different · Most popular American sweets UK · Baby Ruth complete guide
Reese's is the biggest-selling confectionery brand in America, and it is not hard to see why. The combination of smooth milk chocolate and salty-sweet peanut butter has been irresistible since H.B. Reese first started selling Penny Cups from his Pennsylvania home in the 1920s. In the UK, demand for imported Reese's has grown steadily over the past decade — driven by social media, the growth of American candy retail, and a generation of snackers who grew up watching US TV and wondering what a Peanut Butter Cup actually tasted like.
But there is far more to Reese's than the classic cup. The range now spans dozens of products — cups in every size and chocolate variety, bars with caramel and pretzel layers, crispy thins, crunchy pieces, dipped pretzels, animal crackers, and collaboration formats with Chips Ahoy! and Oreo. This guide covers the complete Reese's range available in the UK, the story behind the brand, and what makes the US import different from the UK-made version.
A Brief History of Reese's
H.B. Reese was a dairy farmer from Pennsylvania who worked for Milton Hershey before deciding to start his own candy business. He experimented with various confections through the 1920s, but his peanut butter cups became the standout product almost immediately. Originally called Penny Cups because they cost one cent each, they became so popular that Reese dropped every other product line to focus on them exclusively.
In 1963, the H.B. Reese Candy Company merged with Hershey's — turning a local Pennsylvania favourite into a national and eventually global phenomenon. Today Reese's generates over three billion dollars in annual revenue and accounts for nearly half of all seasonal confectionery sales in the US convenience channel. The brand's dominance in America is why UK customers seek out the imported version: it represents something that UK confectionery has never quite replicated — the specific chemistry of American chocolate and salty peanut butter. For more on how American and British chocolate differ, see our American sweets vs British sweets guide.
The Cups: Where It Started
The Peanut Butter Cup is the heart of the Reese's range and the product that everything else extends from. The concept is simple: a ridged milk chocolate shell filled with a thick layer of slightly salty peanut butter. The balance between sweet chocolate and savoury filling is what makes it compelling. The original two-pack remains the core product, but the cup format has evolved significantly over the years.
The Big Cup scales everything up — thicker peanut butter layer, more pronounced filling ratio, single cup format for impulse purchase. The White Cup replaces milk chocolate with white creme, making the peanut butter taste even more prominent. The Big Cup King Size (Canadian) and Big Cup with Caramel add a liquid caramel layer alongside the peanut butter. The Chocolate Lava Big Cup takes the same concept in a different direction — a flowing chocolate centre alongside the peanut butter filling.
The PB & J Strawberry Big Cup is one of the most distinctive recent additions — peanut butter and strawberry jelly in a cup format, capturing one of America's most iconic flavour combinations. The Big Cup Marshmallow adds a marshmallow layer for a s'mores-adjacent experience. The Oreo collaboration formats (standard and miniature) combine Reese's peanut butter filling with crushed Oreo cookie pieces — two of America's biggest confectionery brands in one product.
Miniatures — bite-sized individually wrapped cups — are available in standard, sugar-free, dark chocolate (Canadian), and white chocolate (Canadian) formats, plus a large case for retailers and pick-and-mix operations. The Minis Changemakers pack is a large-format sharing bag. Browse the full cup range on the Reese's wholesale page.
The Bars
Beyond the cups, Reese's makes a range of American chocolate bars that each bring a different texture and format to the peanut butter base. Nutrageous is loaded with whole roasted peanuts and covered in milk chocolate — crunchier and more savoury than the cups, and one of the most underrated products in the range. The UK-made Overload packs peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, and pretzel pieces into a milk chocolate shell, making it the most texturally complex bar in the lineup. Outrageous replaces the pretzels with Reese's Pieces candy for a sweeter, crunchier variation.
Sticks are crispy wafer layers with peanut butter coated in chocolate — lighter and crunchier than the other bars. Fast Break combines peanut butter, soft nougat, and caramel in milk chocolate for a chewier, more substantial bar. Take 5 — originally a standalone Hershey's product, now under the Reese's name — stacks five layers: pretzels, caramel, peanut butter, peanuts, and milk chocolate. If your customers like sweet-and-salty combinations, Take 5 is the bar to push.
The Giant Bar is the sharing and gifting format — a slab of milk chocolate filled with peanut butter, eye-catching on the shelf and priced as a premium item. The White Peanut Butter Bar extends the white chocolate variant into bar format. Crispy Crunchy King Size adds a peanut butter candy centre with crunchy peanuts and caramel for the most substantial bar in the range.
Thins
Reese's Thins are cup-shaped but around 40 per cent thinner than the original, with a higher chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio. They come in sharing bags and feel more snackable than the standard cups. The Milk Chocolate Thins are the closest to the original cup flavour in a lighter format. The White Chocolate Thins (currently sourced from Canada) appeal to customers who find the standard White Cup too rich. The Dark Chocolate Thins are the most grown-up product in the entire Reese's range — a slightly bitter chocolate shell paired with salty peanut butter, appealing to customers who normally find American candy too sweet.
Pieces, Snacks and Crossovers
Reese's Pieces — small peanut-butter-filled candies in a crunchy sugar shell — became famous after appearing in E.T., where they were used to lure the alien in one of cinema's most celebrated product placement moments. The full story of how Reese's Pieces ended up in the film is covered in our E.T. and Reese's Pieces blog. They remain one of the most recognisable products in the range. The bright orange, yellow, and brown colours make them visually striking in any display. Available in peg bags, share bags, and a large case, plus the Pieces Bark format and the Retro Theatre Box for impulse display.
The Dipped Pretzels coat crunchy pretzel pieces in Reese's peanut butter creme and milk chocolate — the salty-sweet-crunchy combination is one of the strongest cross-category lines in the range. Dipped Animal Crackers bring animal-shaped biscuits in the same peanut butter and chocolate coating. The Popped Snack Mix is a lighter format — popcorn, pretzels, and Reese's Pieces in a mixed snack bag. The Chips Ahoy! collaboration formats pair Reese's peanut butter cups with Chips Ahoy! cookies.
US Import vs UK-Made: What's the Difference?
Not all Reese's products in the UK are identical. Some are imported directly from the US or Canada; others are manufactured in the UK under licence. The distinction matters — as we covered in our American sweets vs British sweets guide, American and British recipes produce noticeably different results.
US and Canadian imports use Hershey's original American chocolate, which has a tangier, slightly more acidic flavour and a grainier peanut butter filling. UK-made products use locally produced chocolate, which is smoother and milder with a creamier peanut butter. The difference comes down to chocolate regulations: EU and UK rules require milk chocolate to contain higher percentages of cocoa solids and milk fats than US rules, so the UK-made version uses a different formulation. Many customers prefer one version over the other. Stocking both gives you a wider price range and a reason for customers to trade up to the import version.
For Retailers: How to Stock Reese's
Reese's is one of the easiest American brands to build a section around because the range has natural display logic. The classic two-pack cup is the anchor — the product most customers recognise and the one most likely to convert a first-time buyer. The Big Cup and White Cup extend the range for customers who want variety within the cup format. The bars (Nutrageous, Take 5, Fast Break) appeal to customers who want more texture and complexity. The Thins and Pieces serve the sharing and snacking occasion.
Miniatures and Pieces in large case formats support pick-and-mix displays. The Dipped Pretzels and Popped Snack Mix extend Reese's into the savoury-sweet crossover category. The Giant Bar and Pieces Bark are the gifting and premium display pieces. For sharing bag formats and display advice, see our sharing bags wholesale guide. For a broader guide to building an American candy range, see our American candy wholesale buyer's guide.
Reese's is the number one searched-for American chocolate brand in the UK. Positioning it front and centre in your American candy section draws customers to the rest of the range. For a broader look at the most popular American candy in the UK right now, see our guide to the most popular American sweets in the UK.
Browse the Full Reese's Range
Sweet and Glory stocks the complete Reese's wholesale range — cups in every format, bars, thins, pieces, dipped pretzels, snack mixes, and the full collaboration lineup. Browse the Reese's wholesale page for current availability, or explore the full American chocolate, American sweets, American drinks, and American snacks ranges. Create a free account to browse and order across more than 2,000 active lines.
No minimum order. Free first parcel on orders over £150 ex VAT (additional boxes £7.10 each). Free pallet delivery over £650 ex VAT. Dispatched from Manchester.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are US and UK Reese's different? Yes — some Reese's products in the UK are US or Canadian imports, and some are made in the UK under licence. The imports use Hershey's original American chocolate, which is tangier with a grainier, saltier peanut butter; the UK-made versions use a smoother, milder chocolate. The main reason is regulation — EU and UK rules require milk chocolate to have higher cocoa and milk-fat content than US rules, so the UK formulation differs. Many fans prefer one over the other and buy both.
Why does American Reese's taste different from British chocolate? It comes down to the chocolate. American Reese's uses Hershey's chocolate, which has a slightly tangy, acidic note from the way the milk is processed, and the peanut butter is saltier and grainier than UK palates expect. Our guide to why American chocolate tastes different explains the science behind that distinctive flavour.
What is the difference between Reese's Cups, Thins and Big Cups? The classic Cup is the original ridged milk chocolate shell with a thick peanut butter layer. The Big Cup scales that up with a thicker filling in a single-cup format. Thins are around 40% thinner than the original with a higher chocolate-to-peanut-butter ratio, sold in sharing bags for a lighter, more snackable format.
What are Reese's Pieces? Reese's Pieces are small peanut-butter-filled candies in a crunchy sugar shell — no chocolate. They became famous after featuring in E.T. and are visually striking in orange, yellow and brown. They're a different product from the chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and work well in sharing bags and theatre-box formats.
Where can I buy Reese's wholesale in the UK? Sweet and Glory stocks the complete Reese's range wholesale — cups, bars, thins, Pieces, dipped pretzels and the collaboration formats — with no minimum order and fast UK delivery. Create a free account to browse and order. Related guides: Reese's best-selling American chocolate · Hershey's complete UK guide · E.T. and Reese's Pieces story · Why American chocolate tastes different · Most popular American sweets UK · Baby Ruth complete guide
