Hershey's Kisses, Reese's Pieces and other all-American favourites are to appear on the shelves of Asda after the confectionery company signed an international distribution deal with Walmart. What does chocolatier Willie Harcourt-Cooze, who starred in Channel 4's Willie's Chocolate Factory, make of the prospect?
"It is not just the taste that makes me wonder whether Hershey's will catch on in Britain. Its products do taste and smell very different – they sour the milk in the production method devised by Milton Hershey, which is why to English palates the chocolate seems very peculiar. But there is also a trend towards healthier dark chocolate in the UK: people want a higher percentage of cocoa.
I find Cadbury's very sweet for my palate, but a lot of people disagree. That doesn't mean they will buy into Hershey's just because it's a big brand. And kids are notoriously difficult to get past if something doesn't taste as they perceive it should."
