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Dear Costco,
Towards the end of last year, you stopped carrying your Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter. As soon as I saw the asterisk on the price tag, I knew it was time to stock up.
We stocked up on your organic peanut butter and within a few months you began carrying a new, non-organic peanut butter. I was ok with that, and so were many others that I had spoken to about the peanut butter. We were just happy to have our two ingredient (peanuts and salt) peanut butter back.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. I made my weekly Costco run and found none of your new peanut butter. I asked a nice gentleman where it was, and he assured me that this particular location was just out of it for now.
I did some research.
Awful news:
None of the Costco warehouses in Tucson carry the Kirkland brand peanut butter anymore. It has been discontinued.
Wonderful news:
I had found a few articles about the best natural peanut butter, and some of the brands mentioned had the same two ingredients as my beloved Kirkland brand peanut butter.
I found a replacement. Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Sea Salt is comparable to our favorite peanut butter.
The problem? I shop at Costo weekly, not Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is nowhere near where I shop.
And?
When I bought 6 jars of peanut butter (plus one jar of peanut butter plus flax seed) at TJ’s yesterday, the cashier asked if I was making cookies. Because maybe other people don’t buy 6 jars of peanut butter at one time?
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We eat peanut butter on everything – on waffles and pancakes, on bananas, in my spinach smoothies, on sandwiches, and on fruits and veggies like apples and carrots.
Am I using my blog to whine about your decision to not carry Kirkland brand peanut butter anymore?
Yes.
I’m sorry, but yes.
The other peanut butter choices in your store have too many ingredients, and taste completely bland. You have spoiled me with your awesome product, and now I am ruined.
I’d like to buy Kirkland peanut butter again.
In the big jars.
At Costco.
Please.
PleasePleasePleasePleaseWithABigCherryOnTop,
Your biggest fan and most enthusiastic customer,
Becca
———
Has a company ever discontinued your favorite product? Did you ever find a suitable replacement?
I too miss the Kirkland brand, fortunately Costco Canada sells an excellent replacement called Nut n Better which I now stock up on to take to my winter home in SoCal!
Oh, yum!! I found a similar replacement at Safeway here – it’s getting us through!
We were also bummed this week when we learned that Kirkland Peanut Butter has been discontinued. A quick google revealed that it was on a recall list for Salmonella poisoning, as was the Trader Joe’s brand. Here is the CDC web page, http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/CORENetwork/ucm320413.htm
Check the UPC codes on your stock. The web page encourages comsumers to return unopened jars that have not expired for a refund. In November, the FDA revoked the registration for the New Mexico plant that manufactured the peanut butter. None of this was mentioned by the Costco employee that I asked (though, in fairness, he probably didn’t know.) But it may have more to do with the recent discontinuation than even the peanut shortage. Unfortunately, it also probably means that they might not be bringing this particular brand back ever.
The reason they quit carrying it was and is simple: the 2011 organic peanut crop was terrible. The yields insanely low. They couldn’t get sufficient quantity of organic peanuts to fulfill their needs so they didn’t produce any at all. While Georgia’s crop was at record levels this year, sadly Georgia isn’t a major producer of organic peanuts. With the recalls going on currently, we can only hope Costco can source the peanuts and find a processor. Costco wrote about why they discontinued the peanut butter in their Connections magazine last fall (well, the parts they knew then!). I don’t recall but I think they were one of the largest organic peanut butter labels.
The Kirkland Natural Peanut Butter is gone from South Florida and worse they’re carrying “Jif Natural Peanut Butter”. I guess Sugar, and Palm Oil are natural ingredients in peanut butter. But it won’t be in our house.
C’mon Costco!
Amen to that Ken!!! Jif peanut butter is terrible! Kirklands was the best! I now buy from Whole foods, but it’s still not as good as the Kirkland brand!!! :(
I feel the same way about TJ’s. It’s too far away, and just another store to add to my list.
I am all over the disguise idea!
Yes, we love the Kirkland brand PB! It’s tough to find a decent PB that doesn’t have a bunch of other ingredients. Whenever people suggest products to me from TJ, I always sigh. I already shop at 3 different groceries stores, and I simply cannot add a fourth. Then again, for PB, I would make an exception, because we eat it like it’s going out of style here, too.
If Costco still sells it in other places, maybe they’ll reconsider it for your store if you ask for it every time you go in! It’ll seem like, “Man, people keep asking for that!” They won’t know it’s you. You can bring handy disguises if you’re worried.
I am sorry to hear this news. We actually have Kirkland brand peanut butter in our refrigerator right now (LOVE it). Have you tried looking at the Costco on I-10? That’s where we bought it last.
That’s where I first realized they were out, and Time Dog looked into the other local stores. Gone.
Teddies PB with Flaxseed. That is what my trainer has me eating. Very good. If you would like I can send you a jar if you don’t have that out there. And, since you have gotten to be little Suzi Homemaker, why not try making your own. Then you will move on and bottle it and it can be “Our Crazy Peanut Butter”
I haven’t heard of Teddie’s, but I found that at Trader Joe’s and I love it!
And I’m onto the peanut butter…. brilliant!
What a bummer. We have yet to start shopping at a warehouse because I am not sold on the idea if we will save money and what brands they carry. I buy a lot organic too and haven’t had a chance to price/brand compare at BJs and Sams Club. This reminds me that I need to especially as the boys get older and start eating more. Wow you go through A LOT of peanut butter! :) It’s good stuff.
Trader Joe’s is constantly getting rid of items I really like. They use to have great potato dumplings which they no longer carry. Alexa got rid of their frozen mashed potatoes too and I really loved them.
BIG bummer. I think we save in meat alone. The pb was a bonus. We also love getting gift cards there because we seem to frequent the same restaurants over and over, so $80 for a $100 gift card rocks :)
They told me the people who were making their peanut butter sold the peanut farm. I like the new natural PB they carry.
HOW could they sell the farm, and WHY didn’t Costco buy it?
Things I would change if I were CEO…