Back in February 2023, Miyoko Schinner separated from the brand she had spent nearly a decade building. A press release announced that Miyoko’s Creamery was “entering a new stage of growth”—without Schinner. Later, she told VegNews that she had actually been removed from her position months earlier.
Fans were devastated to learn that Schinner was leaving the beloved dairy-free cheese brand. But there may be hope on the horizon: Schinner has now revealed to AgFunderNews (AFN) that she is assembling a bid to buy back Miyoko’s Creamery.
“I believe I am the best person to be the face of the brand,” she said. “I’ve got some values aligned people with whom I am talking right now, and we’re hoping to put something together very, very quickly.” She clarified that if the bid is successful, she would once again own the brand, but she would not return as CEO. Instead, she would oversee the appointment of a new leader.
“We’re also talking about a structure for a company that is not reliant on what investors say, that is not top down, but more lateral, with mutual support,” she added. “I want to do things differently.”
Megan Thompson
Why did Miyoko Schinner leave Miyoko’s Creamery?
Schinner founded Miyoko’s Creamery in 2014 with a mission to transform the vegan cheese industry by making high-quality, dairy-free products using traditional techniques. Through the brand, she developed items like cultured cashew-based cheese wheels and pourable liquid mozzarella, and consumers loved them. But as Miyoko’s Creamery grew, things became more complicated.
“Over the last few years, since the company has grown, I have had less and less ability to impact the company,” Schinner explained to VegNews back in 2023. “I was trying to figure out how to move forward with me somehow working with the company, but I didn’t want to just be a puppet for the company.”
Her exit was rocky, and several lawsuits followed, though they have since been resolved. By late 2023, Schinner confirmed in an exclusive interview that she was doing well. “I had more than my share of monsters over the past year, but I can say that I have learned so much,” she said. “I feel that I’ve gotten back to who I am at the core.”
Now, with Miyoko’s Creamery facing financial struggles—it has entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors process, meaning the company must sell—there’s an opportunity for Schinner to return to where she started, but with a new focus.
Miyoko’s Creamery
A potential new chapter for Miyoko’s Creamery
Schinner believes she has the right strategy to turn things around for her namesake brand. In her view, Miyoko’s Creamery has been targeting the wrong audience. The plant-based market in general is struggling, and she argues that the way forward is not to chase the mainstream but to reconnect with the brand’s original loyal customers.
“We have to speak to the early adopters,” she told AFN. “You can’t go straight to the total addressable market and try to launch with cheeses that are speaking to the mass consumer because the mass consumer is not interested. You’ve got to target the people that are, and they are looking for premium products that are clean label, that are nutritious.”
She pointed to New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory as evidence that leaning into strong values could help turn the brand around.
“People want a point of view,” she said. “People are not interested in whitewashed, middle-of-the road, me-too brands. People want brands that have an opinion, a point of view, that stand for something, and that is what I would try to revive: a brand that stands for truth, equity, and sustainability.”
Schinner will now work with her team to put together a bid for Miyoko’s Creamery. Another investor, Satish Karandikar, who is also active in animal welfare, has reportedly expressed interest as well.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
