Biochemist Scott DiGuistini and Merissa Myles, who has a background in fundraising, always dreamed of one day opening their own business based on some kind of natural product — although neither initially knew what that product would be.
That was until the spring of 2010 in Paris. While DiGuistini was there for a job interview, the couple sampled some yogurt. He didn’t take the job, but the memory of the “light and creamy” treat remained.
Not long after, the couple relocated from Vancouver to the rural life in Royston, south of Courtenay, to pursue their business dream — Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt.
“We really felt drawn towards home,” DiGuistini said.
He grew up in Victoria, attending Oak Bay High School, before studying at the University of B.C. He also studied dairy foods through Cornell University.
Myles earned a communications degree at Simon Fraser University and has worked in health-related fields.
Since launching Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt two years ago, their company has been growing non-stop.
Tree Island yogurt is sold in 75 grocery stores on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and will soon be on the shelves of 26 Thrifty Food stores. Greater Victoria stores carrying Tree Island include the Red Barn Market, Lifestyle Markets, Country Grocer and the Root Cellar Village Green Grocer.
On the mainland, they are in Whole Foods Market and Choices Markets.
Thrifty Foods has been waiting for Tree Island to ramp up its supply. Dale Gordon, a Thrifty Foods grocery category manager, contacted the company two years ago and has been waiting for them to “feel ready” to supply the stores.
Customers have also been requesting their products.
Tree Island yogurt is being showcased today at 11:30 a.m. at the Victoria Public Market at the Hudson, 1701 Douglas St. Chef Ali Ryan, chef at Spinnakers Gastro Brew Pub and director of the Island Chefs Collaborative, will do a cooking demonstration using the yogurt. Samples will be available.
The yogurt is produced in a leased facility in Royston. Milk comes from nearby Birkdale Farm’s grass-fed Ayrshire cows.
The whole, non-homogenized milk is free of antibiotics and hormones and there are no fillers or thickeners in the yogurt, Myles said. Tree Island requires up to 2,500 litres of milk every week.
Named after an island near their home, Tree Island started with cream-topped yogurt and has expanded into a thicker Greek-style yogurt.
A $172,000 federal-provincial grant supporting agriculture allowed DiGuistini to lead a team of employees in research resulting in an adapted ultra-filtration system, which purifies water. This innovation allows the company to produce more Greek yogurt by reducing straining time to remove water from milk, naturally thickening the yogurt.
The yogurt is sweetened with Island honey. Tree Island uses between 90 and 136 kilograms of honey per week.
Flavours include natural, honey, vanilla, chai latte, lemon, orange blossom, and cardamom. Inspiration comes from Mediterranean and Silk Road lands.
“We are really living our values. Our mission is to create local food security. We have a business that nurtures local agricultural land for future generations,” Myles said.
The couple has two sons, Emery, 4, and Sebastian, 7.
DiGuistini said that the business is driven through all its level by relationships. “It’s about supporting family farms. It’s about connecting those family farms with our customers.”
While there are a number of cheese makers on Vancouver Island, the couple believes that Tree Island is its only artisan yogurt business.
An initial $200,000 investment in a leased building has grown to about $1 million, DiGuistini said. VanCity credit union and the Chefs Collaborative provided a $10,000 loan.
