Our views on Miyoko's v. Miyoko

Dear Friends of Treeline,

You’ve probably heard about the controversy around the departure of Miyoko Schinner from the vegan cheese company she founded and gave her name to. She and I started our companies around the same time and for much the same reasons - to make high quality, cruelty-free artisanal cheeses, without compromise. So I have always regarded Miyoko Schinner with the greatest respect and admiration, and as a colleague rather than a competitor.

I don’t know why the money men decided to remove Miyoko from the company she devoted her life to, so I can’t say much more about it. But what I do know is that as of this week, the new Miyoko’s is now run, not by Miyoko, but by a former Coca-Cola executive.

I can relate to this sad turn of events. There was in fact a brief period during which Treeline was run by a former PepsiCo executive. But those days are over!

I want to assure you that Treeline remains founder-run. And as founder and CEO, I can promise you that I have never sold fizzy sugar water to anyone (except when I worked as a waiter)!

When I resumed the CEO role last year, I was determined to go back to basics - back to the principles that I believe in, and what the company does best - making top notch vegan cheeses using real ingredients and time-honored cheesemaking techniques - for the good of people, animals and the environment.

As I think about the journey I have been on, I fondly remember the packaging we used when the company was just starting out. It was carefully designed to reflect the ethos and sensibilities of the company. Unfortunately, in our brief “corporate” phase, even though we still followed my original recipes, the original packaging was replaced by a more mainstream design that never really reflected what we were about.

However, that will soon be behind us. I am thrilled to announce that over the next few months you will be seeing fresh new packaging that is a true representation of the Treeline brand and our mission - to craft cheese the old fashioned way, out of real, simple, ethically sourced ingredients - while doing right by our animal friends and mother earth.

As part of this exciting relaunch, we will reveal some really amazing new cashew-based products - like Ricotta, Pimento cheese and Sour Cream (already available in Purple Carrot meal kits). Like our original French Style and Cashew Cream Cheeses, they are all made from responsibly sourced cashews, cultured to perfection. Best of all, they should be in stores in the next few months.

In the meantime, here is a glimpse of our fresh new look. 

On behalf of my entire team, I want to express deep gratitude for your support and loyalty over the years. Exciting times lie ahead for Treeline and I can’t wait to share more updates with you. 

Signature
Michael Schwarz
Founder & CEO (again)

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