The Company Behind Kirkland Signature's Imported French Brie

It's a fairly well-known fact that the Kirkland Signature line from Costco includes products from major manufacturers and familiar brands — even if we never know the actual source. Sometimes, it's a true guessing game: Are those multi-packs of tuna made by Bumblebee? Is Nespresso behind Kirkland Signature coffee pods? It's a yep to the tuna and nope to the pods (those come from Green Mountain Coffee). It gets even more intriguing when the items are high-end chocolates from Belgium, balsamic vinegar via Italy, or green teas grown by Japanese farming communities — all from popular brands released under the Kirkland Signature label. 

However, some Kirkland products only require a little game of I Spy. Fortunately for inquiring minds, the Kirkland French brie is one of those. Kirkland Signature's logo does appear prominently atop that circular wheel of brie, but a slip of the eye slightly downward lands on a separate, smaller label that indicates a highly acclaimed French brand based in Normandy, France: Isigny Ste Mere. It's a revered brand and well-respected co-op of French cheesemakers operating collectively for well over 100 years. 

This French brie is the real deal: a luxurious double-cream cheese made in Normandy, which miraculously ends up in Costco coolers at affordable membership prices. The Kirkland Signature Isigny Ste Mere Imported French Brie currently sells in Costco's business center at a stated online price of 21.16-ounce wheels for $11.39, equating to $8.63 per pound, though price variations could occur based on location.

This French brie appears in Costco's artisan cheese category along with cohorts such as fresh mascarpone, Mexican-style cotija, Dutch-imported gouda, and burrata with mozzarella and cream. It's a double cream brie, a type of rich, buttery cheese that originated in Normandy during the 1850s. These cheeses now adhere to strict requirements for butterfat content, resulting in the characteristic extra creamy texture and earthy, mushroomy aromas and flavors. Brie isn't the only soft cheese that presents as a double-cream with a bloomy rind that's safe to eat, but it's arguably one of the most famous. 

The Isigny Ste Mere cooperative, which produces Costco's private-label double cream brie, tucks at least 380 farms under its wing. Cows graze on fertile grasses in Normandy's coastal marshlands, as well as locally grown alfalfa, leading to nutrient-dense milk and, eventually, cheeses exported around the world. The French brie embraced by Costco shoppers is created, evolves, and matures onsite within the Isigny Ste Mere cellars. 

Helpful packaging notes suggestions for eating this particular brie. For the milder tasting experience, unwrap and consume the cheese about 30 days before the sell-by date while it's still young and semisoft. Waiting until 15 days prior gives you a soft and buttery cheese, while holding on until the last best-by consumption date rewards with the deepest flavor and creamiest consistency. When planning the ultimate brie-tasting party, brush up on how to serve and eat brie like an expert.