Hershey's is shelving Cacao Reserve!

[sheilal]

I thought this chocolate was really good! Not the best I've ever had mind you, but for mass market stuff, it hit the spot.

Will any of you 'hounds grieve? or will you give a collective "meh"?

[drpat]

I am now grieving since I have just recently run out of places to purchase this bar. If anyone knows of a "stash" I would love to buy some up for future bites. It never fails, if I like it...it goes away. I thought I was personally keeping them in business. Dr. Pat

[tahoe chocaholic]

OK, Now I know why Grocery Outlet was selling 12 packs of dark chocolate truffle crunch for 99 cents last summer... just my luck I would discover this yummy indulgence (only 200 calories in 4 satisfying pieces) as it was being phased out! I agree with drpat, as soon as I get addicted to something it ends! Just like the Tostitos creamy salsa that I first found at Safeway and lastly at G.O. If it ends up there it is about to be history. Glad I bought all the cacao reserve available at my G.O. , a couple dozen boxes, at the time. Just opened the last box today and went online to find out where to get more... whah!

[reiflame]

I actually really liked their "drinking chocolate" - it was rich and the flavor was great without that greasy thing that some powdered hot chocolates have.

[ferret]

It's a premium specialty product and the first to go in a down economy. If it was selling well they'd keep it going, but they aren't cut out for boutique products.

[Ruth Lafler]

Actually, small luxuries like "boutique" chocolate do relatively well in a down economy -- they satisfy peoples' need to indulge without much of a hit on the wallet. I think sku is right: the Cacao Reserve line was their entry into the premium chocolate market. Once they bought Sharffen-Berger they were competing against themselves, and the Sharffen-Berger brand has a lot more cachet in that market segment.

[Shane Greenwood]

Ruth is right. A lot has been written this year about how super premium products are doing well. I think the Hershey brand never fit into that category. They are a middle quality, mass market brand. Those players never do well going up scale (remember the VW Phaeton?). Super premium cocao powder would be the Dutch process stuff coming from Europe and a few American brands, maybe Sharffen-Berger is one of them but I haven't had thiers.

[sku]

Given that they now own Scharffen-Berger, seems like it was competing against themselves.

[Scrapironchef]

They're actually closing the Scharffenberger plant and moving the production to Mexico. I'm wondering if the same sort of thing hasn't affected the Cacao Reserve.

[coney with everything]

fabulous. Wonder if anyone will ever figure out that if you keep eliminating jobs, there won't be anyone left to buy your product?

[Shane Greenwood]

Scharffen-Berger production was reportedly shifted to a plant in Illinois. Hershey had actually been making most of the SB there for awhile. Closing the California plant shifted the last remaining production to the IL factory. That said, the articles didn't mention if the powder was made in that plant or elsewhere.