Hershey: The Marmite of Chocolate

Either love or hate their chocolate, American company Hershey is the largest chocolate manufacturer in the United States, which produces millions of chocolate bars a year. However, despite being ever-popular with Americans, the trend does not seem to have hit the British shores quite so smoothly. This may be due to Hershey's chocolate having been produced using the "Hershey process", a process used widely now by all chocolate manufacturers in America, but is uncommon in the United Kingdom. This process allows for the use of soured milk to be used in making the chocolate, rather than fresh milk, which changes the texture and taste in a way British chocolate eaters may not be used to.

Used to the creamy sweetness of Cadburys chocolate - produced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia - Hershey's chocolate may be an acquired taste for those homegrown on mass amounts of cocoa butter and fresh milk. In 2006, Hershey lowered the amount of cocoa butter used in their chocolate products, which may have led to even more distaste towards it in Britain due to it being less chocolaty, as it were. Some Brits might find it not quite sweet enough for their palates. Despite this, it seems to be gaining popularity on this side of the Atlantic, having been adopted by more and more retailers. While it is still difficult to find it reasonably priced in physical shops and supermarkets, the internet allows for more variety to be stocked of Hershey products - Hershey's Kisses, Mr. Goodbar etc.

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